Adoration
by Wistful-Eyes
Summary: There exists a pair of rurouni, one a redhaired man, the other a small girl. Kenshin has never been loved the way Ami loves him, but these happy traveling days are over. A woman, knowing Kenshin's identity and bent on revenge, plots both of their deaths.
1. Prologue

Prologue:

When I was 8 years old, my brother went away to war.

My brother Hiro was always quiet. Not in a timid way. He'd just stand there, looking at you, and he wouldn't say anything unless he felt he had to. He'd just stare at you with those piercing eyes, until you'd look away. Thats what I've heard other people say, gossiping on the streets when we passed: "Ice-Eyes". I knew Hiro could hear them too. His hearing was better than mine. All of his senses were better. But he never said anything.

I don't think his eyes are like that all. When he looks at me, they look sort of dullish. But deep inside, I know there is a cold spark, calculating and clever. Very clever. Don't you have to be clever, to be a spy?

Hiro never talked to me. Not really. Not even about our parents. Hiro never said who they were or when they died. In fact, all I know, I know from catching snatches of conversations from between my brother and some government man. I've pieced together this much: Father worked as a spy for the government. He was very good. They say he could sneak up on you without even trying, ever since he was a boy. Father had died during a mission, and so the government gave us money annually to help support us, in tribute to Father. But still, it wasn't much. Thats why Hiro made the descicion to become a spy.

Before, the officials who came yearly to give us the money always tried to encourage Hiro to join them. They knew he had inherited father's skill, the way he could slink up on you and you wouldn't know until he spoke. They were very happy when they came that year when I was 7, and he told them he would agree to work with them. Hiro was 15.

When he first went away, I was really unhappy. All my life he had been there, constantly watching, a strong shadow. I cried a little, and pouted when he had to go. But he just gave me a small hug and said coolly: _"Don't cry. You're not that weak. You know how to take care of yourself." _

It was true. After the first few days, I learned how to be by myself. Soon, I almost didn't care that Hiro left almost every month. I learned to go outside into the forest, to pass my time trying to catch frogs, to climb trees. Meanwhile, Hiro was progressing. At first, he had only been doing little spywork, listening out at bars to hear of any illegal actvity. Now he was doing pretty important work. Sometimes he would be gone for a whole week. Finally, the year when I turned 8, he decided to go to war. Not as a spy. He wasn't _that _good. As a soldier. Besides, he was of age. He had only stayed because of me. But now that I had gotten used to being alone, he decided to leave. 

I didn't really understand war, back then. As I said, Hiro never really talked to me. The only world I knew was our small hut, the small field we tended for food, and the poor village we rarely went to, just to buy clothing. And the woods. Oh, the woods were my favorite place to be. I loved to watch the animals there. Hiro bought me a small wooden carving of a squirrel once. He said I was like one, because I kept climbing trees. He gave it to me the day he was leaving. I adored the toy. I thanked him for it and gave him a big hug. This time, he didn't wait there patiently till I let go. He actually hugged me back and held me to him. I should've realized something was wrong, I think now. But I was too little. Too oblivious. Too innocent. So my brother Hiro left for war, and I was left to tend to out home and the field by myself. It was allright. I didn't eat much anyway, and there were actually wild berries growing in the woods. I had lots of fun. I even camped outside in the woods.

After 3 weeks, I finally noticed that Hiro was being away for a long time. The next month, when the government men came to give the annual money, I asked them how long was a war. They looked at me, puzzled, then sad. "A long time," they said. "It may take a while. But just wait here patiently until your brother comes home." I had looked up at them, puzzled.

"But thats what I've been doing! And it _has _been a long time. Tell the people the war should end now." I said stubbornly. I don't know what I was thinking. I must've thought it was a game. The officers gave me the money and left. And for the next 3 months, I was without my brother. I was fed up with waiting. I was lonely. So I decided to break the unspoken law my brother had set for us. Don't talk to anyone. I knew we had a neighbor, quite a while down the road. I decided to make friends. Takaru Konure was the name of the neighbor. She was an old lady, all by herself. She was very kind to me, and she treated and felt like I was a granddaughter. When she told me so, I asked her why her real granddaughters didn't come to play. She got a sad look on her face, and then she said softly:"I don't have any granddaughters." So then I looked at her and took her hand. I showed her the wooden squirrel my brother gave me. She smiled at me and gave me some sweet potato she baked. She was a dear friend.

One day, I was out in the woods and I smelled smoke. The squirrel I was coaxing over with a nut ran away when I stood up quickly. I was scared, so I dropped my pack of camping gear and began to run full speed to the hut. As I ran, stumbling over roots and fallen twigs, I got a little angry with myself. I had gone especially deep into the forest today. And this new part of the forest I hadn't explored so well. I almost got lost, but I followed the smell of the smoke and as I sprinted across known turf, my eyes opened wide as I knew the smoke was coming from the hut. I could hear the crackling fire and people yelling. I tripped over a large branch and fell right when I came to the road, on the opposite side was our hut. I cried out but was unheard because of the shouts coming from the otherside of the road.

"DAMN YOU!! DIE!" someone shrieked and as I lifted myself up from the trench and peered out to my burning home, I saw a wiry boy throw a big stone at the hut. He, along with a lady around her forties, were standing in front of my home and were chucking bits of wood and rocks at it. I immidietly saw it was they who started the fire. I wanted to scream at them, "Yamete! Stop it!" but I kept silent because of my fear. I had never seen this kind of violence before. My eyes were wide with terror and I was shaking and sweating.

"Die! Goddamnit!" cried the boy once again and he punched the ground and turned to the woman, his mother. I could see his face and his eyes terrified me. They were filled with fire and malice.

"Okaasan! You think we can catch her?" His mother stared icily at the burning wood, then turned to him, her eyes glinting. "I hope we can. Burn the little brat! She'll suffer, he'll suffer!" She broke off, staring at the charred ash, trembling in....excitement? Hate? The boy spat on the ground, and said to her quietly, "Tousan will be avenged. Dying's not enough for the bastard who killed him. He'll suffer even more when he sees his sister joining him in hell so soon." I stared at them in fear, mounting so high in my chest I felt I should scream but I didn't dare. Everything was burning...my clothes, my items, the nest I was making for some birds, my toy squirrell Hiro gave me....I choked and spun around, running back through the woods and to Konure's.

"Takaru! Takaru! Miss Takaru Konure!" I shrieked hysterically, pounding on her door. She opened up so quickly and suddenly my fist flew forward, almost hitting her, and I would've fallen had she not caught me on the back of my brown gi. I was crying now and I looked up at her to see that her face was pale. "Sh....shh...Ami-chan-" I swatted her hand away and then grabbed it again, not sure what I wanted. "They're burning my home, Takaru! They're throwing stones at it and they want to burn someone alive!" Her eyes widened at my news and at my behavior. She grasped me tightly and brought me inside.

She got a wet towel and pressed it to my forehead, wiping away all the sweat and dirt. I squirmed. I didn't want to be here. I wanted to be somewhere far away, where I could be sure those people wouldn't get me. Takaru grasped my hand and gazed up into my eyes urgently. "Ami-chan. Who is burning your home?"

I glanced at her. She looked so frail and old. But when I saw her eyes, they were filled with emotion.

"A lady and her son. They were cursing someone...and they're angry at me. What did I do, Takaru?" The old woman's eyes filled with pain. "I don't know, Ami-chan, but you see, I am the one who told them where you lived. I didn't know, dear, I didn't know and I'm so sorry," she whispered. Then someone knocked on the door. Takaru sat up, eyes wide, and I began to tremble. She saw me shaking, and grasped my shoulders, pushing me towards the back door.

"Escape," she said harshly. "Run, get away as far as you can. Don't come back until you're sure they're gone." I nodded dumbly and rushed out the back, darting past her little field of daikons to the woods. But I was curious. I wanted to know, why are they doing this, _why_? So I ran along the border of the woods, rushing past her garden to a spot where I could see the front of Takaru's house. The woman and her son were standing there, and they were talking to Takaru. I almost retched, because the stench of the smoke from the burning hut was on their clothing. _My home, my things, my world...._

"So you don't know where she has gone," the woman said calmly, her son standing next to her with clenched fists. I saw Takaru's back stiffen.

"No, I don't." Takaru sniffed. "What have you been doing? You smell like smoke." The son glared, but the woman just shook her head. "Nothing. Let us know if you see any sign of her, alright? We're her last relatives, and as her brother has passed away in the war...." she said clearly. Takaru stiffened once more. "I see. I'll let you know." Takaru bowed slightly and shut the door in their faces. I saw the woman turn to her son. She opened her mouth to speak, but I heard no more. I turned and ran deep into the woods.

Liars! Liars, liars! ; I chanted this over and over in my head. It was night, now. 

"And as her brother has passed away in the war..."

Liars!

"He'll suffer even more when he sees his sister joining him in hell so soon."

; I chanted this over and over in my head. It was night, now. 

They were lying. They had to be. _'Passed away', 'joining him in hell'...._

What did those words mean? Where did Hiro go? What did it mean? Passed away...Hiro went some where far, then. He couldn't've traveled all the way to Hell, though. I was confused. It didn't make any sense. Hiro can't go away forever...let alone die. He always came back. Always. _Liars!_

I fell asleep, but I woke up because I had rolled over onto a twig. It jabbed my side painfully, and my eyes shot open. There was no unusual noise. Just the noise of cicadas, and the rustle of leaves from the wind. I couldn't believe it happened. I needed to see, with my own eyes...

I crept through the forest, making sure not to make any loud noises. After a few minutes, I came to the remains of my home. It _was _gone. Every last bit. Charred wood covered the ground, ash scattered over my field. I stared a little longer from the safety of the woods, and when there was no sign of the mother and son, I crept out to the ruins. I walked carefully around the burnt wood, to the center of the ruins. Barely anything was spared. But perhaps...

It was hard to find where it was, as wood was scattered everywhere, and there were no landmarks for me to remember. But finally I found it. Where we kept our money. Hiro always put the money into a purse, then buried it in the same spot, three stones marking where it was. I had copied him, while he was away. The three stones were scattered, of course, but after digging a rather large hole with my hands and pieces of wood, I found the purse. I tugged it out, and stared. There was quite a bit. Enough to get me 2 sets of clothing and at least meals for at least a day. That was alright. I usually ate things grown in the forest, anyway.

What should I do? I asked myself. The answer came to me, quickly, from the back of my head. _Leave here..._

I asked myself. The answer came to me, quickly, from the back of my head. 

"Leave?" I said softly, gazing at the wreckege. Tears began to come again. I growled angrily and wiped them away, not caring that I was smearing dirt on my face. _Leave... _The idea seemed adventurous. It grew in my mind in those few minutes. But where was my pack? I searched half-heartedly through the wreckege. As if _that _would alone be spared. Then I remembered. I had dropped my pack in the woods when I had smelled the smoke. I was going to go camping in those parts. I felt a lightness in my heart I hadn't felt since last morning. I ran to the unknown part of the woods. After searching for at least a quarter of an hour, I found my pack. There was a set of clothes in it, an old, worn gi and hakama, and some bread and potatoes. I almost cried in relief. This was wonderful, I could definately get going with this much provisions! I walked back to the outer part of the woods, where it met the road, when I heard a voice calling out softly. I squatted down and froze.

"Ami-chan, Ami-chan..." It was Takaru! I lept up and ran out of the woods, sprinting towards her. Takaru heard me and gave an "Oof!" as I crashed into her. She hugged me and pressed me to her, not caring I was filthy. "Oh, Ami-chan! I was afraid they had found you!" she cried.

I shook my head and pulled from her embrace, standing back, letting her look at me. She stared. My pack was slung over my shoulders, and there was dirt on my face. But I'm sure my eyes were shining. She looked at me sadly. "Are you leaving?"

I felt guilt slowly fill inside me. If I left, Takaru would be all alone again. Takaru must have seen my expression, because she gave me a smile. "You have to be careful on the road. You never know what will happen."

I smiled back. "I'll stay near the woods. I like it better there, anyway. I'll be alright." Takaru shook her head, pressin a hand to her temple as if she had a headache. "There's so much you don't know." She shook her head once more, than grasped my hand hard. "Listen to me, and remember. Be wary of strangers. They may not be who they seem. You know which plants are poisonous, and what are not?"

I nodded. "Hiro taught me." Takaru's face shone with pain for a while, and she opened her mouth to speak when I shook her gently. "What else, what else?" I said coaxingly. She paused for a second.

"Some people may try to cheat you. With money, and such. You should also carry a weapon."

My eyes went wide. _A weapon? _"I-I don't have one," I said worriedly. Takaru grasped my hand firmly and tugged me along. "I'll lend you a dagger I have at home. I'll give you more food as well."

We went to her house and she gave me the things she had promised. I took the dagger from it's sheath and peered at it. Takaru saw me and sighed, patting my head. "I hope you never have to use it. Are...you sure you don't want to just live here with me?"

I looked at her, and pain was tearing my heart apart. "Takaru...I just-" _I don't want to be reminded. Of those people... _Takaru saw and understood, as always. She nodded abruptly and showed me out to the door.

"Come back, someday. I want to see what you look like, grown." she said softly. I nodded. I gave her a hug and thanked her for everything. I was about to turn away and start my journey, when I remembered something.

"Takaru? When Hiro comes back, you'll let him know what happened and that I'll be alright?"

She opened her mouth to speak but I cried out a loud, "Thank you!" and ran off. I didn't want to hear it. Surely she didn't believe those liars?

Its funny who traveling on the road makes you think. After a while, your legs seem to move automatically and your mind is free to wander. I kept finding myself thinking about the lady and her son, even though I wanted to forget. A question kept probing me. _Why? _Then I remembered something the son had said. It made my blood run cold.

"Tousan will be avenged. Dying's not enough for the bastard who killed him."

'Tousan will be avenged' ........ 'bastard who killed him'

My heart could have stopped. _'Bastard who killed him'... _He was killed. By whom? That sentence rang out in my head and I blinked back tears, trying to avoid the answer to the question, the question of whom they were talking about. But I couldn't avoid it. The truth rang out in my heart and my steps became heavier as the light of dawn lighted the horizon. 

When I was 8 years old, my brother went to war. And he killed someone.

Owari-

Okaasan- mother

Yamete- stop

(I got those words from the dictionary. If they're wrong, ah well. ;)


	2. Two Atonements, One Sin Part 1

** Two Atonements, One Sin**

Part 1:

~*~

It was raining. The sky was covered in different shades of grey from the clouds, and the world was dark. A young, red haired man walked through the small trail through the woods to the next town. He carried a sack over one shoulder, containing his few posessions. As Kenshin walked, his eyes narrowed slightly as he sensed someone watching him. He could've detected where he or she was easily, if not for the rain. Their emotions weren't high enough for him to tell directly where they were, and they seemed to want to keep away from sight. He sensed the person holding his/her breath. 

He kept walking the same pace, not letting the potential enemy notice that he knew he/she was there. A movement-! _From behind that tree, _Kenshin thought quickly as he turned around speedily, hearing something whistle towards him. The person had thrown something? His ears told him it was too big and light to be a weapon, so instead of recoiling, he reached out his hand and caught the object. It was an umbrella. 

"Oro?" Kenshin said lightly, letting his voice be heard by whoever had thrown it. Though his face seemed to be looking at the umbrella, his eyes darted towards the place where he had sensed movement. The figure of a child moved back into the shadows. _A slim build, _Kenshin thought. _A girl? _He kept his eyes towards the tree where the child had hidden behind. No further movement was made, and Kenshin could sense the girl holding her breath. Kenshin smiled slightly as he realized the child did not want to be discovered, and now he truly looked down at the umbrella.

It was strange, not a regular umbrella at all. It seemed to be made from materials that you could gather from the forest. The pole was just a roughly carved branch, the handle rubbed down to be smooth so you wouldn't get splinters on your hand. The covering was just many large leaves sewn together in layers over the spokes, which were made of twigs. All of this was held together by string and plant glue. The workmanship was simple, but it would serve its purpose, Kenshin estimated. He hoisted the umbrella upwards, shielding his head from the rain. Kenshin paused. It didn't leak. Smiling, he turned to the trees.

"Thank you for your gift. That is very kind of you," he said clearly, kindness in his voice. He paused, giving the child a chance to reveal herself if she wished. No movement. He sighed, then smiled again slightly as he turned and continued his way down the path, not looking back. Ami watched him go, hidden in the tree's shadow. After he disappeared from view, she let out her breath and darted off. 

****

~*~

The hut was messy, but that was fine with Ami. There were various object loitering the floor, including several hand made umbrellas. Among the strange assortment of objects, were slingshots for children, rattles for babies, and a few wooden plates and a pair of sandals. Ami plopped down onto a mat and took the sandals into her lap. They were her latest idea. She had spent weeks making them, and the final project wasn't very good. The sandal was basically a piece of bark which she had roughened down into the shape of a foot. She had tried to attatch soft leaves and plants to the sole, so that the wood would not be rough on the foot. The plant glue she made had not been strong enough, so she had contented to smoothing the wood itself. She had then tried putting in the woven grass string she had made to keep the sandal in place, but the holes were in bad places so all in all, the sandals were pretty uncomfortable to wear. Ami blew out air from her lips and caused her long stringy bangs to fly up. She would have to try again, and get it right next time. 

Plenty of times she had seen shoeless beggars walk down the road, hoping to get pity from the people of the town. Ami yearned to help them, but she had no money to spare, only time. So she hatched the idea to make various objects and give them to whoever she saw that might need them. It was her atonement, for her brother. 2 years ago, she had to evacuate from her home, and discovered her brother had killed someone. It burdened her soul. She was still very innocent, in many ways. She hadn't really observed the fact that everybody kills somebody else in war. In her mind, her beloved brother had done the 

un-thinkable, and with the guilt that followed, she thought herself stained. She did not hate Hiro. But she felt guilt and grief for the pain he had caused to the woman and her son who burned down her house. 

__

"I am of lower life," Ami whispered to herself in a quiet, lovely voice. She said it like a song. _"Serving others shall be my duty, in penance for Hiro." _Then she would break down and cry for him. _Hiro, Hiro!_

Now she watched the world with cold eyes, thoughtful towards the poor peasant's needs in her mind, distributing her craftsmanship to whomever seemed to need it. When a young mother would thank her gratefully for a toy to entertain her baby, or a boy thanked her in joy for the miniature windmill, only then did her eyes shine in warmth and happiness, proud. Ami thought of the red haired man, smiling in her direction. Her eyes shone. 

****

~*~

Kenshin entered the town, make-shift umbrella still over his head. As he walked past he noticed the street vendors closing up, and the shoppers hurrying home. A few well dressed townspeople snickered audibly as they spotted Kenshin's ugly umbrella. He ignored them, of course, and continued walking with a small, seemingly oblivious smile on his face. It was his mask. Five years ago, the war had finally ended, and he spent his time as a wanderer, helping people in need. It was his atonement for all the deaths he had caused, and one stood out in his mind most of all....

__

"Tomoe," he whispered. He still felt grief for his wife; he probably would for the rest of his life. But he would carry on doing the thing that was right in both of their minds; helping people, never killing. Over the past five years as a wanderer, he had learned a lot. In his first few years, he couldn't shake off his coldness, his outer shell that hid his feelings during the Bakumatsu. But one night during a storm, he had taken shelter with a poor woman and her three children. The children were sweet things, rowdy and joyful. Kenshin smiled and felt truly happy all the time that he was there. The poor, young widow remarked to him as he left, that he should smile more often. His face changed remarkably when he smiled. Kenshin had taken the words truly to heart, and over the years as he encountered all sorts of people, he learned that the oblivious smile made others underestimate him and think of him nothing more than a simple vagabond, which is exactly what Kenshin wanted. The cheerful smile had replaced his emotionless gaze as a mask.

****

~*~

Ami stood. She was getting hungry... she decided to leave for Hareru's place. Hareru Ichidou owned a resturant in town. Ami, dressed in simple clothes that could be used for rags, had attracted her attention one night when Ami had been roaming around the town in sheer curiosity. Miss Ichidou had taken pity on her and gave her the leftover food from the resturant. It was Autumn now, and since all the plants were dying, Ami stopped by frequently for food. 

Ami left on the same road Kenshin had taken earlier, to get to the town nearby. Ignoring the stares of the townspeople, she went around to the backway of the resturant and knocked. A servant answered. 

"I'd like to see Ichidou-san, please," she said hesitantly, sensing they were still busy.

The servant nodded abruptly and called for the mistress. Hareru soon came, wiping her hands on her apron. 

"Ah, Ami. We haven't gotten much food right now, so please come back in about...an hour or so."

Ami nodded and bowed slightly. "Thank you anyway, Ichidou-san," she said politely. Hareru smiled and nodded her away, then turned back to the hungry customers. 

Ami strode down the street back to the forest, aware of the rain pouring on her head. 

"It stopped for a while, at least." she said, musingly. Her mind quickly thought of the red haired man. Ami idly wondered what happened to him. She walked a few more meters than halted. There was a man standing in front of her, huge and brawn. He staggered a bit, turning to face her. Ami stared back, stonily. 

__

He's drunk, she thought, panick edging into her heart, though she was not sure why. The man stared at her, leering. "Little blossom. Come here.." he stumbled towards her, hand extended. Ami backed away, confused. His face turned from being lecherous to anger. He growled and darted forward with surprising speed, grabbing her arm. 

"Little blossoms 'ought not to wander around at evenin'. Something might happen to them..." he leaned closer to her face. Ami's face was filled with terror and panick. She could smell the sake on his breath. She made a noise of terror, and struggled against him. The man shook her arm, squeezing it hard. Ami screamed. 

"Onegai! ICHIDOU-SAN!" 

The man struck her across the face with his other hand. "Shut up, wench!" Ami screamed again, shrilly, knees sagging into the mud of the road. "Help me! Help-" A thwack sounded in the air as the man backhanded her. She fell against the mud, unconcious. The man grabbed her and hoisted her over his shoulder, and began to run home. 

Elsewhere, Kenshin sat under a tree staring at his small fire, brooding to himself. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

*Hareru-to be sunny, to clear away, to stop raining

*Ichidou- a ray of hope

Once again, I got those from a dictionary. -_-'

Review replies:

Haruko1: Wow! Just on the first chapter, and you already say you'll stick with me. I'm immensely flattered by that. ^_^ Thank you very much. Oh, and I have no desire to discontinue my story. I was just pointing out that I wasn't exactly aiming for audience appeal; I just wanted to "store" this story idea some place so I never forget. So, I will never abandon it! Already, I have more ideas... :)

Riverwood: ^^; Don't worry, way more to come I believe. I hope I don't leave you waiting at the screen too long... I try to write the next chaps. as much as I can, but school and my other fics, ya know? -_-;

Well, thanks for the reviews, guys!


	3. Two Atonements, One Sin Part 2

(I had just noticed that I had completely forgotten about disclaimers! So here is one: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin, if I did, Tomoe would have never died, and if she had to, this character Ami would have obviously been in the anime and Seisohen. @_@ Doi. So, I don't own it. -_-')

(Possibly rated **R **because of...**** inplications) 0_0'

****

Two Atonements, One Sin

Part 2:

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Little blossoms 'ought not to wander around at evenin'. Something might happen to them..." he leaned closer to her face.

"Onegai! ICHIDOU-SAN!" 

The man struck her across the face with his other hand. "Shut up, wench!" Ami screamed again, shrilly, knees sagging into the mud of the road. "Help me! Help-" A thwack sounded in the air as the man backhanded her. She fell against the mud, unconcious. The man grabbed her and hoisted her over his shoulder, and began to run home. 

Elsewhere, Kenshin sat under a tree staring at his small fire, brooding to himself. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Gakuma was angry. He had lost all of his money to gambling and sake. Well, almost all. Gakuma fingered the few coins left in his pouch. "What the hell," he grumbled irritably. He needed the sake to drown out his problems. A few hours later he was drunk. However, the emptiness of his money pouch sent him into a furious mood, and he broke some tables and cups until the owner of the bar tossed him out. Thus, he stood outside in the rain, trying to let it cool his heat, when he saw the girl. 

She could've been a pretty little thing, if she were cleaned and dressed up right. She wore an over large shirt with dirty pants. Her pale skin stood out tremendously from her pitch black hair. The strands were tangled together at the bottom, and her three stringy bangs went past her eyes messily, but that didn't discourage Gakuma. She was small and dainty looking. His drunkeness destroyed his senses; other wise he would've never attempted to take this child. He was a cunning man, and he knew reputation was the only way to help you rise in success from the bottom, but now, he was angry and drunk, and what a perfect oppurtunity it was to find a lone, small girl. 

He grinned at her. She stared back, coldly. But as he stumbled towards her, he could vaguely see the fear lighting in the back of her eyes. "Little blossom. Come here..," he said roughly as he came closer, hand extended. She backed away. _Little bitch! _Gakuma swore in his mind, anger coming back again. He grabbed her arm, hard. 

"Little blossoms 'ought not to wander around at evenin'. Something might happen to them..." he said, barely containing the fury in his voice. He was unexplainably mad. He would take it out on her. He could see the terror in her eyes. It partly sparked his anger even more, and partly made him feel satisfied. The girl made a noise of terror and struggled. The satisfied feeling left and his vision almost turned red. _Just do as I say, _he thought furiously. _Stop retaliating... _He bared his teeth and squeezed harder. The girl screamed.

"Onegai! ICHIDOU-SAN!"

__

STOP YELLING! he thought, and he voiced his fury with the vicious slap he gave her. He was really going to give it to her now. "Shut up, wench!" The girl sank into the mud, tears running down her face from the slap. She gasped, getting her breath, and let out a plaintive cry. "Help me! Help-" Gakuma hit her with as much force as he could muster. The girl slumped into the muddy road, and he waited for any signs of movement. None. An evil grin errupted in his face. He beat her, he won! He dragged her upwards and dumped her onto his shoulder. He could feel the slender body press against him. Gakuma ran home as fast as he could. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Kenshin watched the dying embers in his fire. The light reflected off his violet eyes. He thought of many things. He thought of the people he had helped, he thought of Tomoe, he thought of the days of the Bakumatsu. Most of all, he thought of himself. He thought of the man he had been, and the man he was becoming. With his cheerful exterior, more people had been willing to let him stay with them when the weather was rough. They were more friendly, and sometimes, in their kindness and earnesty, Kenshin had felt happy. 

__

Do I deserve to be happy? 

__

The last time I was truly happy...Tomoe-

But she saved me. Doesn't that mean she wishes for my happiness?

But...

Kenshin sighed. These debates in his head had been repeating over and over ever since the Bakumatsu ended and he was given time to think deeply. 

The twigs in the fire broke, setting Kenshin's senses on alert. Now that he was back in the world again, he felt a sense of distrust settle over him. Something...didn't feel right.

The rain had stopped, and the clouds made way for the sun's light to shine over the ground, its farewell for today. Kenshin snatched up his sword and put it in his belt. Kicking over the fire, making sure the embers were all dead, he picked up the umbrella and his sack. He walked along the muddy road, not caring that the mud was seeping into his socks.

A suspicious feeling was lurking over him. _It may be nothing...but I won't take that chance. _His pace quickened. He wasn't sure what he was looking for, but as the feeling grew darker, he was sure it was close. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Gakuma dumped the girl onto the wooden floor of his home. She moaned, and curled into a ball, hands over her head. If Gakuma had been sober, perhaps he would've felt a little guilt, but now all he felt was anger and anticipation. 

Ami moaned once more, and let out a choking sob. Her face hurt; it was probably going to bruise. She slowly lowered her hands and took in her surroundings. She froze as she saw the man who had beaten her. Gakuma heard her breath increase faster and faster. Her heart was probably beating as fast as a scared rabbit's. As her breath nearly became ragged at the pace, she darted up and ran towards the door. Gakuma beat her to the door; one stride of his could match at least three of her steps. He hit her viciously and she fell to the ground.

Her vision became unfocused, her ears were ringing. She sensed the man coming towards her. Through her terror she knew that she could not escape on her own. She began to scream as loud as she could.

"Somebody! ANYBODY, HELP ME!!!"

Gakuma roared and seized her arm and shook it hard. She kept screaming for she knew it was her only hope. _Someone, somebody, please help me... _Gakuma punched her in the stomach, knocking the wind out of her temporarily. He was furious. It was time to take her. He grasped her sleeve and pulled it down past her shoulder. Ami, still winded, managed a noise of terror and she struggled backwards, knocking over a wooden stand.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Kenshin walked down the path at a moderately fast pace. His instinct made him uneasy and suspicious. 

__

It may still be nothing, he thought to himself, grimly. _Well, _his other side argued, _the more you travel, the more chance you may find someone to help. That's your life purpose now, isn't it? _

A scream rang through the air. Kenshin's eyes widened. He halted and looked around through the trees. He tensed his hand, ready to draw his sword. Another scream came, and this time he could tell it was farther up. He walked faster. As the panicked scream came once more, he decided to run. 

"Somebody! ANYBODY, HELP ME!!!" the voice shrieked desperately and as Kenshin came to a clearing he halted at the run-down house. A growl of anger errupted from inside the house and Kenshin heard something topple over, a piece of furniture. Kenshin narrowed his eyes. He threw down his possessions and sped to the door and kicked it open.

A huge, brawny man lept back from the small girl who was pressed against the wall. Her shirt was askew and her eyes were wild. Both of their breathing was labored. The man's face was red and he smelled of Sake. Kenshin knew immidietly what had happened. His eyes narrowed even harder as he took in the crime. It was one of the most disgusting things a man could do, in his opinion. Taking advantage of a young child like that...

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Almost immidietly after the wooden stand crashed to the ground, the door was kicked open. Gakuma sprang back, alert. Ami clutched the collar of her shirt. As the man stepped in, Ami's eyes opened wide in wonder and hope. It was the red haired man from earlier of today... 

The red haired man could've been trembling in fury, and as her panic gradually lessened, she saw the rage in his eyes. She now saw the cross shaped scar on his cheek. And the sword at his belt.

"Let the girl alone. I do not know your connections with her, that I do not, but if you attempt to touch her again, I shall be forced to draw my sword," he said, steel in his voice. Gakuma laughed, harshly.

"Tha's right! Iz none of 'ur affair. Shove off, shrimp. Get 'ur own." 

Kenshin closed his eyes, trying to calm himself. When he opened them again, Ami noticed how cold they had become. So different from before, when he had thanked her for the umbrella, she thought dazedly. She felt sick. She tugged her shirt upright and knelt down to the floor, a hand to her mouth as she tried to stop herself from vomiting. Gakuma growled at her. He took a step forward. He halted as the flash of steel errupted in front of his throat. He took a look at the man. His eyes were...

Gakuma suddenly felt afraid. Kenshin kept the sword pointed at Gakuma's throat. 

"It is men like you, that sometimes make me wish to turn this blade around..." he murmured.

"Eh?" Gakuma muttered drunkenly. He eyed the weapon. Through the fuzziness in his brain, he acknowledged the dullness of the opposing side. Ami looked up to them at Kenshin's words. She didn't know too much about weapons, but she could see that the blade was dull. Her eyes felt tired. She let herself collapse onto the floor. She was being taken care of. She watched them with glazed eyes.

Out of the corner of his eye, Kenshin saw her collapse. Gakuma saw Kenshin's eyes flicker towards her, and he took this chance. He bellowed and tried to punch the man, but Kenshin dodged and struck Gakuma in the side with no hesitation. Gakuma yelled, then fell to the floor unconcious. His unseeing eyes stared into Ami's, and she tensed once more. There was a mark in his side... Kenshin let out his breath, then turned to Ami. She seemed to be in shock. He couldn't just leave her there...

He came towards her and knelt down. Ami slowly turned her head and looked at him, dully. "Shall we leave this place?" he asked kindly, and seeing no resistance, reached over and picked her up. Her body was tensed. Kenshin felt sorrowfull. He stepped out of the doorway, and the setting sun bathed them in its red light. He breathed the fresh air, and felt the girl copy him. He could've smiled. 

He walked over to the place where he had thrown down his sack and umbrella. Kenshin cradled the light girl in one arm, and used the other to sling the sack over his shoulder and insert the umbrella into his belt. He didn't know where the girl lived and whether she had any real relation to the man who harrassed her, but he definately thought it was a good idea to take her away for a while. She seemed to be in too much truama to tell him anything either. 

Ami sighed and stared up into the sky with almost unseeing eyes. Her brain was frozen. After a while, her body slowly relaxed in Kenshin's arms as he carried her farther down the road, away from Gakuma's house. She slowly nestled her head into the crook of Kenshin's elbow. He glanced down at her in surprise. She ignored his gaze and settled hers on the orange clouds. After a while, she became aware of a poking sensation on her leg. Her eyes flickered over to it, and Kenshin saw. He positioned the umbrella so the end wouldn't jut into her. He looked back to her, and this time she met his gaze. The beginnings of life appeared in them.

"You kept...the umbrella," she said hoarsely. Kenshin blinked. She coughed a bit, then pushed herself out of his arms as she bent down to the road. She clutched her throat, choking. After a few moments, she restrained herself and looked at him. The glazed look was disappearing. "Did it help?" she asked.

Kenshin realized she was talking about the umbrella again. He looked at her, and suddenly his eyes flashed in recognition of the form of the girl who had slunk into the trees. He nodded. She smiled at him, a contented expression settling over her features. She glanced back at the way they had come. Kenshin's eyes narrowed slightly. "Can we go farther?" she whispered. Kenshin's heart took pity on her. Did she have no family? If she did, surely she would've wanted to go back to them. Unless that man was her family... but that he sincerely doubted. How could that ox of a man be related to a small girl like this?

She stumbled towards him. Kenshin grasped her arm, helping her up. He felt her tense involuntarily again. Kenshin cursed the man. Ami slowly relaxed again and stared up at him questioningly. 

"We can go a little farther," he said softly. "Do you think you'll be able to tell me what happened later?" Ami nodded slowly and pressed against him like a lost chick. Kenshin scooped her up to him again as she looked too weak and they walked till the sun completely set.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~OWARI~ of this chapter ~ -+--=-

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Author's Notes: 

That was a little too choppy, in my opinion. Oops. 

I realized I had never described what Ami looked like, so I tried to do from Gakuma's POV so you would get at least a _little _idea of what she looked like. Right now, I'm getting permission from my friend if I could use her scanner to post pictures of Ami I've drawn on her website. Once we work it out, I can give out the link and you guys can see what Ami looks like. 

A note: right now, I'm making this like it was being played in an OVA. No extreme goofiness=swirly eyes, etc. I might let Kenshin say "Oro" but I'm not sure. When I start writing as if they were in an anime, you'll see the difference. ^_^

After I did Gakuma's POV, I kept going by using everybody's POV. I wanted Kenshin's POV so you could see how angry he was, I wanted Ami's POV cuz I wanted to convey her feelings of relief after Kenshin came in, and Gakuma, I already explained. I made up Gakuma's name. I got the "Kuma" from a dictionary. Apparently, it means "bear". The animal kind. ^^ The "Ga" I think I segmented from the word "brawny". So there you go.

Next chapter, I'll let you know how old Kenshin is. I wonder if any of you were curious. ^^;


	4. Two Atonements, One Sin Part 3

*Disclaimer: No, I do not own Rurouni Kenshin, that I do not. Why do you think my pen name is what it is!?*

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Two Atonements, One Sin

Part 3:

~ ~ ** ~ ~

Ami twisted and turned. There was fire everywhere, the ash getting into her hair. She choked on it. Then someone grabbed her hand, a tight firm grip. The ash disappeared from her eyes and she looked into the pale blues of Hiro. He stared at her, perfect looking. No soot was on him, and the fire danced next to him but did not burn his skin. 

"You're not that weak," he said. His grip tightened. Ami began to sob. "I am, I am," she cried, ashamed. The grip tightened even harder, and as her tears faded she looked into the face of Gakuma. His face was so opposite to Hiro's. While Hiro's tan face was smooth, Gakuma's face was covered in bristles from a badly shaved beard. While Hiro's eyes were pale blue, almost icy looking, Gakuma's were black, bottomless pits. Gakuma grinned. Hiro had never smiled widely. She screamed and turned away, and the grip disappeared and she fell back into the fire but was caught in strong arms. 

"Hiro!" she cried joyously but then looked up to see shining locks of red hair, the color like those flowers Ami had seen before at the flower vendor's. 

"Thank you for your gift. That is very kind of you," he said. He opened the umbrella but to Ami's dismay the rain made holes in it and as the rain dribbled onto the man's head, his image seemed to be smeared away by the liquid. It was a nightmare. She was half repulsed, half yearning, wanting to get away from him, this melting man, and at the same time wanting to run forward to embrace him, to help him stay _whole_. She cried out to him, and reached out her hand. Then the sun came out and shone on the man, and he was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. He smiled at her, and her eyes shone.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

The fire crackled. Ami's eyes sprung open, but she stayed still, letting herself take in where she was. It was night. The sun had completely set, and the sky was a dark blue. She craned her ears for any noise that might prove the red haired man was about. She listened for a few minutes, at the same time noticing more of her surroundings. She was lying on a hastily prepared leafy bed at the foot of a tree. The night sounds were everywhere. But no sound of the red haired man. There was a nagging feeling in Ami's mind. She knew she had just had a dream, but she couldn't remember. She hated it when that happened.

She sat up, looking around. They were in the woods, it seemed. She was in the middle of a man-made clearing, probably by the red haired man. There was a small fire in the middle, and farther away was the umbrella and sack. The man was no where to be seen. She turned to her right, and through the brush, she could see the dirt road they had been traveling on. Or rather, the man carrying her. Ami looked down, disappointed with herself for making him carry her the whole way. She needed to toughen up. She remembered Gakuma's angry face, but she quickly forced her mind to not concentrate on that. She had already spent many hours in a stupor, she knew, and she wasn't going to force that man to take care of her even more.

There was a sound and Ami whirled around to see the red haired man entering the clearing, a fish on a line dangling over his shoulder. He looked a little surprised at finding her up. He then smiled at her. 

"You're awake," he acknowledged. Ami nodded dumbly. The man speared the fish and put it over the fire, cooking it. He focused on the dinner. Ami, seeing he was lightly ignoring her, sat back against the tree and watched him. 

The fire's colors and light danced over his features, making his hair seem even more fiery then before, she mused silently. _He's handsome, _she thought suddenly, fighting down her abashment. His hair was pulled into a high ponytail, a topknot, the hairstyle that was used by samurai. He definately didn't look like a samurai, though. His red gi was tattered, and the bottom of his hakama had brown smudges. She drew her eyes up to his face again. In the fire's light, she could see a strange scar on his cheek, an X. She remembered seeing it when he had rescued her, and she gave an involuntary shudder at the circumstances. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Kenshin had carried the girl at least a mile and a half away from the house of the drunk. He didn't mind; she was quite light. And he wanted to get her away from there. As he had glanced down at her again, he noticed once again her skinniness. Underfed? Was she an orphan? Living alone on the streets, to be snatched up by that man? Kenshin wondered. His mind ran through all of the possibilities. 

__

So she made the umbrella...he thought again, a slight smile tugging on his lips. He looked down at the girl with a small respect. She had fallen asleep, breathing quietly. A small craftsman. Or craftsgirl. His mind ran through another set of possibilities. Daughter of a poor parent, who worked making small things for money or food. Kidnapped by the man. But then, wouldn't the girl want to go back? Perhaps she was abused. He scanned her body for any sign of that. None, except for the usual scrapes and dirt you get from living poorly. But on her face...

Kenshin's face burned with anger. A bruise was forming. The drunk probably did that. It was a slap mark.

He sighed quietly, not wanting to wake her. He would have to wait until she was feeling well to find out. He needed to know _why_, for _what reason _did so-and-so do this. Throughout the years, within each battle, no matter how small, he wished to know the circumstances for his opponent's actions, so he would not judge them harshly. After all, he had practically chosen to become Hitokiri Battousai, a manslayer, a shadow assassin. And all he had wanted to do was to protect the common man, earn rights for them.

As only a sliver of the sun was showing in the horizon, Kenshin decided it would be best to make camp. He came across a small clearing and moved the twigs and brush away, making it larger. He laid the girl down gently and quickly made a makeshift bed of leaves in a soft area of grass. After placing her onto it, he proceeded to make a fire. After he was done, he glanced towards her. She was sleeping peacefully. He smiled, a feeling of protectiveness settling over him. He began running off a list of things of what she might need or do when she woke up. _Perhaps she'll be hungry, _he thought. He went to his sack and pulled out some fishing wire.

Even as he had been making a fire, Kenshin's ears had picked up the sound of a river. Following the noise, he came across it, and proceeded to tie the wire to a long stick. He casted, and sat down to wait and muse. So this is how children were living in the 5th Year of the Meiji. He had been so foolish, thinking that once the Bakufu were destroyed, that the changes would come quickly and everyone, in every class, would finally have happiness. But...surely in later years, _some _good would come out of it, not just for the rich. Kenshin inwardly shook his head. That was his way of thinking the year right after the Bakumatsu ended. Now, he could not count on any changes; he could only hope. The line was yanked.

Later on in the future, Kenshin's cheerful mask would also be combined with extreme clumsiness. If it were in that time, Kenshin would have abruptly let out an "Oro!" and proceed to give the impression that he'd let the fish get away, and maybe he'd fall into the river for good measure. However, it was only his 5th year of traveling, and he was alone, so he quickly yanked on the line without any feigned surprise and the fish was tossed out of the river onto the bank, flopping as it struggled to breathe. Kenshin came over to the creature and quickly killed it to cease its pain, then walked back to the clearing where he had left the girl.

As he walked back, he became aware of her ki, which was awake and curious. He put on a look of surprise as he stepped into the clearing, and he saw her whirl around to meet him. He smiled at her. 

"You're awake," he acknowledged. He saw the girl nod, then went immidietly to the fire to cook the fish he had caught. He wanted to give her time to think of what to say to him. Instead, he realized she was watching him. He sensed her emotions in her ki. She seemed somewhat at peace, and she had an admiring emotion. Though Kenshin showed no sign of noticing her, his mind racked, trying to interpret her thoughts. _Admiring? _he wondered, a small flustered feeling growing inside him. He tried not to turn red. He wondered how old she was. She looked young enough to be nine. 

__

It most be because I helped her, he clarified. Now she showed signs of curiousness. If he didn't have that much control, his hand would have subconciously reached up to his scar. Not that he was ashamed of it. But what if she asked about it? He didn't exactly want to lie to her, but the truth...

__

Oi! It isn't like she is staying long. After she feels better, I'll take her back to her home... _but what if she doesn't have a home? Kami-sama, I wish this fish was done so I could ask her after dinner. _He sensed a small shudder from her. He glanced at her. She blinked, and suddenly a low flush spread across her face as she knew he caught her looking at him. She looked down.

Kenshin suddenly remembered Tomoe, with a pang in his heart. She always looked down, proper and silent. It was how she had been taught. He knew she had kept all her emotions inside, and it had made her grief filled and confused. He inwardly shook his head, and inspected the fish. It was done, finally. He took out a knife from his sack and split the fish, dividing it among themselves. Ami watched on in interest.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Dinner was ready. She had thought she wasn't hungry, but as the scent of the fish had drifted around, she realized how empty she felt. She watched the red haired man prepare their meal, and she wondered if she could help. She didn't want to seem rude.

"Can I do anything?" she asked timidly. He glanced at her, then smiled. "It's all right. I'm almost done, de gozaru." Ami sat back. _Does he think I can't help? _she wondered, ignoring his explanation. _Perhaps...I am really weaker than I thought...Hiro would be disappointed... _

Her vision became wavery. Then a hand appeared, the speared fish on it, offering it to her. Ami smiled at him and took it. She bit it timidly. She didn't want to eat too fast, because then the man might get a bad impression on her. The same if she ate too slow. She glanced at him. He was eating. She watched him from under her hair, studying his pace. Slowly, she began to copy him.

The fish was pretty small, but that was all right. Even hungry, Ami wasn't a big eater. When she was about finshed, the man moved slightly, to draw her attention. She looked up. He cleared his throat.

"What happened, back there? I would like to know, de gozaru. If it is something serious that has been going on, I would like to help." Ami stared at him straight into his eyes, then broke away, glancing off to the side. She felt a bit of resentment. She didn't want to talk, let alone think of that ever again....

But he was only trying to help. He cared about her. Her heart rose. She turned back to him, feeling warmer.

"I live alone, in the woods where we first met," she said, almost shyly. The man nodded, realizing she meant the woods where she gave him the umbrella. "I make things..." she said, spreading her hands, trying to gesture. "Since it's winter, I was going into town, the same town you were heading to-"

The man's eyes remained the same, though a flicker went through them. Was he wondering why they didn't meet? She had been wondering about that too, almost hoping they would have when she had been walking down that road. All these thoughts ran through her head in a second, and she continued talking without skipping a beat.

"I stopped by a resturant; I knew the owner. She usually gives me..." she flustered again. She didn't want to let him know she ate leftovers. "-food. But she was busy, so I went away. Then the man was there-" she clenched her fists into her clothing. "-he caught me," she said bitterly, "and hit me." She began to notice the small thob in her cheek. She fought down the urge to touch it. "I was unconcious...and when I woke up, I was at his home, and you came." she finished quickly, and looked up at him to see his reaction.

He didn't say anything. He just stared into the fire, in deep thought. She didn't like it. He seemed to be in serious contemplation. She wished he wouldn't worry. She was all right now, after all. 

"I'm glad the umbrella was good," she said after a while, trying to distract him. He looked up. She yelled at herself inwardly as she realized she had already said something like that previously. But at least he wasn't brooding. "I try to make lots of things," she continued, rushing. "I like to give it to the other poor people." She yelled at herself again. What if he thought she thought she was high and mighty, believing herself to be special for helping people? She wondered why she was contradicting herself so much. She talked on, trying to explain so he wouldn't think she was bragging. "I do it because my brother killed someone." She froze. She hadn't told anyone about that before, ever since she had left.

She looked down, talking softly. Unshed tears gathered in her eyes. She was frustrated with herself. What was wrong with her? Now he might think she was bad. There was no choice but to continue. 

"My brother went to war. He didn't come back for a long time. So I lived by myself. It was really nice," she added quickly, not wanting him to think Hiro had neglected her. "My brother knew I could take care of myself. But then later, while I was outside, a woman and her son came. They burned down my house. They were yelling. What they said...it seemed like Hiro killed the father, the husband." Her gaze was fixed on a small pebble. "Hiro was good. Really good! It was probably a mistake of his. An accident. But afterwards...I felt sorry for the lady and her son. My house...it was just wood. That's all right. So I like to make things...for the people. They seem sad, so I want to help so there will be less sad people, like the lady and her son." She finally looked up. He was staring at her, a stare deep in thought. Then he smiled sadly.

"I've killed also. What I do is similar to yours. I am a wanderer, and I travel to help whoever I can with my sword, which took the lives of many men. It is my atonement." Ami stared at him. He had killed also...but he was most definately a good man. Grief for him and his victims was quickly replaced with admiration.

__

He is so strong...He's so kind, also...beautiful-

"That's wonderful of you." she said, wanting him to know how she felt. He looked surprised. "We are both-" she broke off. 

__

So kind, so strong, he-

"Can I..."

__

I want to know him-

"Can I know your name? M-may?" she asked, then corrected herself.

He smiled at her. He knew now. This girl was innocent. She had accepted the fact that both her brother and he had killed, and she still accepted them. She was staring at him with such-

"Kenshin. Kenshin Himura." he said. Her eyes shone. _Kenshin..._

"I'm Ami..." she said, and came closer to him. "Ami Yasuragi."

They sat in silence, contemplating each other's names. 

__

Sword...Heart of Sword..Red Village...?

Ami....friend. Yasuragi...tranquility. 

Kenshin smiled. It was fitting. She looked so peaceful sitting there, smiling shyly at him. Small child.

"How old are you?" he asked, curious. Things like that did not usually strike his curiosity, but he wanted to know more about this girl, Ami.

"Ten," she said, raising a finger to twirl her hair absent mindedly. She sat up straighter, as if a certain thought occured to her. "Going on eleven. I'm not that little," she said quickly.

Kenshin laughed. She returned the question, then flushed once more. She was doing that a lot. She had apparently realized how rude that might have seemed. 

"It's all right. You can ask me anything," he said warmly, abandoning caution to the wind. He didn't think a girl like her would ask more about his past anyway. "I'm twenty-two. Going on twenty-three," He said smiling, lightly teasing her.

She blushed, a laugh threatening to escape.

__

You can ask me anything...

Oh, can I, really...? Kenshin....?

"Kenshin?"

"Mm?"

"Can I stay with you?"

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~+OWARI+~

Author's Notes: I'm so stupid. I've been forgetting to reply to reviews. .' So there you have the meaning to the chapter's titles and how old Kenshin is. He still has his topknot! ^_^ Lovely. Oi! I'm such a baka baka baka *hits herself*. I'm so dumb. Right from the beginning, even if I _had _gotten the end of the Bakumatsu date right, the ages would still be screwy. 

Kenshin: War ended in 1868. He traveled for 5 years. Thus, the war has ended for 5 years.

Ami: War ended in 1868, and somewhere during the war time Hiro went to battle when she was 8. Let's say he went in the same year it ended. Sometime later (it could be years even) the "fire" incident happened. Then Ami had been alone for 2 years. 0_o You see a hole? 5 years after the war DOES NOT equal 2 years after the war. Stupid Idiot Me. So this story was doomed in ages from the beginning. But who gives a damn. -_-' But wait a sec, I'm still fixed on this, so ignore me while I calculate.

18??-1868=Ami is 8. How about...1868=Ami is 8. Then....

1869= Ami is 9.

1870= Ami is 10. 

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1871 (the year my story is set in)=Ami is 11. But I want her to be 10! 0_o Ergh...I know, she is still 10, but going on 11 whenever her birthday is. Ha! SO THERE! But then....that is 3 years since the war. No, wait! It is still practically only 2 years, because it is only February! But then, ergh...*dies*

More screwiness then I thought. Oh well, I trust you all to forgive and ignore the error. I just have to make _myself _forgive myself. I'm just terribly annoyed at all of this. *hits herself repeatedly*

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Replies:

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AnimeAmba: Thanks for the comfort. I'm feeling better already! ^_^ I'm glad I inspired you to write your Sano fic. Let me know when you start writing it, okay? I want to read it. :)

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Haruko: Thank you for the talk. *sighs* Yes, I suppose the ages will be screwy, but it was needed, so what's done is done. You're really not continuing A Third of Love? ;_; That's a shame. I really liked it. To make it a happy ending, when Kenshin dies you don't have to make it sad. I mean, from what I've gathered so far, it's pretty peaceful (I haven't seen Seisohen yet, only Tsuikohen). I've been thinking of writing a fic about that, Kenshin's spirit going to the afterlife and meeting everyone that is dead. Sounds sorta cooky, but hopefully it will seem nice when I get to writing it. Okay okay, I'll hold off the lemons for you. (_But its not like I was gonna write a lot anywayz. I'm not like that! X_X')_

Baka: I'm writing, I'm writing...there will be an endless supply of ideas! Muha! This fic will not end till I'm dead! X_X' (Ok, maybe till I'm grown and married, but hey. Married. *twitches*)

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Eevee: I'm glad you find Ami believable. Yeah, the bark sandal was sort of..um..random, but I just wanted to get out another personality trait or skill Ami has: making things. When I think of Ami's character, I keep picturing her very good with her fingers and making all sorts of trinkets. It just seems to go with her character in my mind, so I just wanted to get that out. Maybe she'll make some shoes for Kenshin and he'll trip. Haha. ^^'

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Lucrecia LeVrai: I'm glad you like Ami and the plot. I think POV switching is going to be a favorite thing of mine. ^_^ All the other fics I'm planning in my head are including it. Mostly K+T. 0_o. I dunno, maybe _someday _I'll try writing a K+K fic, but I highly doubt it. :P 

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**PLEASE READ!!***

This story will not be updated anytime soon after this, I'm afraid. School started again today...and I know that I won't have enough time to write the next chapter anytime soon. If I do update, it'll probably be my other fics, like RSI (Rurouni Spread Insanity), since those are just tiny stupidness. Please **read my Bio **for updates. I've been updating it every time a chappy has been ready, in case you haven't noticed. Baka school. Ruins everything. -_-' Sorry. At least Christmas break will come in a while. Then writing spree for me! So, zaijian!

Ami =friend 

Yasuragi=peace, tranquility

Got those from dictionary once again. ^^ I'm not sure, but I think Ami can also transalate into "army". 0_o But according to the dictionary, "friend" is another transalation. But I'd like her name to mean "friend", rather than "army", ya know? ^^' Sorry for the break I'll be taking. I'll update my **bio **to let you know when I think I'll be able to start writing. Bye!


	5. The Answer

****

The Answer:

"Can I stay with you?"

~*~

__

Can I stay with you?

..... 

__

Please....

Kenshin froze. Her yearning for him to say yes was revealed completely in her eyes. He hadn't expected this to happen.

__

You can ask me anything.

Kenshin cursed himself. _You were asking for trouble when you said that, _he thought to himself, angry. He wasn't angry at her. No, never. He was angry at himself for saying the statement that led to this important question. He was angry at himself, because he did not know a way to say _no_ to her gently. 

He had been Hitokiri Battousai, the Legendary Manslayer. This nickname was still well known through out Japan. He tried to stay inconspicuous because of this, and if he were to take this girl along, she might be curious of why he stayed away from social contact. Not to mention, it was bad for children to wander around the whole day and sleep outside in the cold at night. 

__

Though, he thought, _it seems she already lives a rough lifestyle like this. _He saw the scrapes on her knees, the calluses on her feet, the fingers with small cuts on them._ But, it's still out of the question. _He couldn't afford to take care of her. Being near him was dangerous. He _tried _to find trouble, so he could help correct it. His way of living was no way for a child...

__

Demo...what would've happened to her if I hadn't come along? She may be in more danger without protection. But I...I am...

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Ami watched him. He had stiffened, and all the teasing had gone out of his face. She felt miserable. She shouldn't have asked. It was enough to have been saved and taken cared of by him. She shouldn't have forced herself onto him so selfishly. She might be a burden to him. Even now, just spending less than half a day with him... she already knew that...

__

All I want is his happiness and his comfort. If he does not want me, I won't argue. I have no right to be that selfish.

Her eyes watered, threatening tears again. Ami clenched her fists into her clothing, angry with her lack of control. If she cried, it would make Kenshin feel guilty. She let out a breath.

"It's all right," she said softly. His face snapped up from his brooding and looked at her in surprise. "If you don't want me, I can go away."

She watched him carefully. Deep in his eyes his emotions were tumbling. She didn't want to cause him any discomfort. She looked away, hoping he would be able to make a decision more clearly without her eyes begging him to accept.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Kenshin was startled by her voice breaking into his thoughts. Her eyes were in turmoil, but slowly they straightened out into a calm stare, trying to hide the quiet grief behind them. 

"It's all right. If you don't want me, I can go away."

Those words pierced his heart like a dagger. _If you don't want me... _

Kami-sama! How could he accept? He didn't know anything about her, only hints and clues at what she could stand. Could she keep up with him? How about in the under brush? The woods? Could she go for days without food? He sighed inwardly, and tried to think of it in a new approach.

__

What would her life be like if I refused? She would be alone in that forest......by herself. Anything could happen to her... he remembered her panicked face at the drunk's house. She could not protect herself again men like him. But _he _could. Kenshin knew that he was a superior swordsman. He knew he could defeat the common thief or fighter. As long as no one from the old Bakumatsu days came along, he was quite sure he'd be able to win. But there was always that _if_. He could fail at protecting her. Tomoe's death had taught him that. But wasn't it better...to try and protect her, rather then leave her here to fend for herself? He would accept the responsibilities, and try his absoloute best. 

__

Yes....

"Ami," he said. She looked up, trying to hide her nervousness. Kenshin's heart throbbed at her helpless looking expression. "Ami, are you sure that you have no family here to take care of you? No one in the village?"

He saw the flicker in her eyes. She hadn't mentioned what happened to her brother. But Kenshin already suspected. 

She paused, then answered slowly, "No. I lived in another village pretty far from here. I came here after the house was burnt down. I only know a few people in this village, but none of them would be willing to take me in. They do not have the money or time, I think."

Kenshin sat there, contemplating. No one to take care of her? Then perhaps...he could. For a while, at least. If they ever met anyone trust worthy enough, he could leave her there feeling satisfied.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Ami."

Ami looked up quickly, putting her worries of pressuring him and denial in the back of her mind. 

"Ami, are you sure that you have no family here to take care of you? No one in the village?"

So...that was how it was going to be. He would take her if no one else would. Perhaps out of guilt at the chance of leaving her to be alone. If that was the case...and he did say yes...Ami's heart rose at the thought. If he did say yes, she would have to prove herself to him, and not be a burden. She would make him happy to have her as a companion. She would make him glad of his decision. She thought of his question. _Hiro... _Hiro wasn't here. So that was a no. Someday, maybe she'd see him again, but for now....

"No. I lived in another village pretty far from here. I came here after the house was burnt down. I only know a few people in this village, but none of them would be willing to take me in. They do not have the money or time, I think."

She watched his expression. Only after a while she had finished speaking, she realized a mistake. 

Takaru Konure...the old woman who had been her friend those years ago...she had wanted to take her in. But Ami did not want to appear forgetful in front of Kenshin, as she had already given him an answer. And most of all, she wanted to be with him. _Besides, _she thought guiltily, _Konure-san might have...passed away. She was quite old, after all... _She felt shame at thinking the thought. Was she actually hoping Takaru had died? She was ashamed of herself. If Kenshin said no, it would serve her right.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

"Are you up to it?"

His voice broke her thoughts. She looked up, face flushed and startled. 

"Nani?"

His face was warm. "I am a wanderer. It will be hard on your feet."

Her face broke into a shy smile. "I can do it."

"I don't have much money; we may go days without food."

Ami shook her head, determined. She didn't care about the obstacles.

"I don't care."

Kenshin paused, thinking of how to word his next sentence.

"As I said, I wander around helping people, which means we may encounter some trouble..."

Ami's eyes widened slightly. She remembered the man's leering face. Then, like her worries, she banished it from her mind. Kenshin would be there...and she would be by his side. And together, they would try their best to help.

"I don't care. I'll do whatever you say. I'll stand it without complaint." she said, eyes glinting. It was a challenge, to see if she was worthy. If she could live up to her words, then her being with Kenshin would not be a mistake. She would prove it...to both of them.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The determination in her eyes made Kenshin smile. He wondered if he looked like that when he was young, training with his Shishou. 

"All right," he said, smiling. "It's late, de gozaru. Please rest." 

Ami's eyes sparkled. He could see the joy threatening to burst inside her. She nodded quickly, almost eagerly, and lay down to sleep.

Kenshin watched her. She had closed her eyes, then slowly, truly fell asleep. She looked so peaceful, and a small smile graced her lips. Kenshin felt a swell of protectiveness over her. From now on, she was his charge. He was actually looking forward to the future days, to see what his lifestyle would be like now, with this young girl. As he watched her sleep, the old doubts rose in his mind, but he brushed them off. If he found it was too dangerous for her, he would find someone trust worthy to leave her with. With the argument temporarily settled, he lay back against a tree, and looked up to the stars. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~+Owari+~

~ ^ ~ ^ ~ ^ ~ ^

Author's Notes:

Kenshin looked up to the stars. Oooh! See the stars, Kenshin? 

* * * * * * *

* * *

* * * * * * * * * See? There are the stars! X_X' 

Okeydokey, that was random of me. 0_o' I'd try and make the Big Dipper, but oh well.

Hey! The next chapter came sooner then I thought! Know why? Cuz I cut it in half. ^_^ The next chapter and this chapter were supposed to be in just one chapter. But I decided to cut it in half, just to update the story! It's not that long, but it's an update, so no complaints, right? ^_^'

****

Review Replies: 

AnimeAmba: Nah, of course you're not crazy. (backs away slowly)- Kidding! ^^' I'm really looking forward to your Sano fic, since your Aoshi/Misao fic is so good. ^_^ Yeah, reviews are just lovely. I used to read lots of RK fics but never reviewed, but ever since I started writing and saw how great reviews are, now I practically review for every story I read, except for the bad ones. 0_o' Cuz then I'd seem pretty mean. (Baka! Kaoru is spelled K-A-O-R-U, not K-A-U-R-O! X_X') Sometimes I see the most terrible spelling mistakes, not just names either. ^^'

Haruko: Yeah, school is a big fat bother. All that math...*shudders* Yes, continue your fic if you can! ^^' Your writing style is very.....(I have low vocabulary...).erm......X_X' poeticy? X_X'' Okay, I'll shut up now. Oh yeah, and about my fic idea for the afterlife...I didn't even think about Kaoru's dad! If it were a comedy fic, that'd be pretty funny. That's happened in one of....Anna-neko's fics. (I think that's her pen name,anyway) Except Kenshin wasn't dead. He was sleeping with Kaoru (not that way!) when her dad's ghost just popped up. It was pretty funny. Quote: "HOLY DE GOZARU!" :P I think the title is called "Heart of the Woman" or something like that.

Peeko: I'm glad to get a review from you! I'm also glad everyone seems to be liking Ami. ^_^ Please refrain from dying until this fic reaches it's end. :P (Its going to be really long though; I can tell already. Possibly around 150 chapters?!)

Anyway, as usual, I'll let you know in my Bio when I start writing the next chappy. Till Next Time!


	6. Follow the Sun

*Disclaimer: No, I do not own Rurouni Kenshin, that I do not. Why do you think my pen name is what it is!?*

****

Follow the Sun:

~*~

__

He was smiling at her, so lovingly. _"All right," he said. _

All right...

He said yes... He actually said yes-!

Ami crept forward to him. It was chilly, and he seemed to project warmth, the way he was smiling so kindly. She came to his side and nestled into him, safe and warm. His arms came round her shoulders and held her to him firmly, a protective embrace. Here, she knew she would always be safe.

In the trees, Hiro watched stonily. 

~*~

A bird's song woke her. Though she slowly became aware of the world around her, her eyes stayed closed. She didn't want to wake up. She wanted to stay like this, feeling warm remembering Kenshin. Her heart beat quicker, and her lips spread into a smile. She shifted so that she practically faced the ground, and allowed herself to grin uncontrollably. 

****__

He said yes, he said yes, she thought, a small tremble escaping her. She supressed the strange feeling deep inside her chest, the feeling that made her feel like wanting to scream. She felt like she could explode from the feeling. She hadn't felt this animated in so long. What in the world was wrong with her? She should act gracefully. She wanted to impress him. 

She heard Kenshin move. She stiffened in her position, and was aware of the dirt on her cheek. She shifted once more, still pretending to be sleeping, and carefully brushed the dirt away as unconspicuously as she could with out seeming deliberate. She couldn't scrub harder with out letting him know she was awake, so she slowly sat up and rubbed her eyes, slyly rubbing the dirt mark off as well.

Kenshin turned to her, giving her a small smile. 

"Have you gotten a good sleep?" 

She nodded and gave a smile back. Scanning herself self-conciously, she got up from her "bed" and took a few steps towards him. 

He was sitting with his back against a tree, sack not far from him. Ami quickly wondered what was inside it, but brushed the curiosity off. He had saved her, taken cared of her, and now, accepted the responsibility of being her guardian. Prying would be selfish. 

He reached over and grabbed the sack and reached inside. In his hand was a strange looking food Ami had never seen before. It looked hard. 

"Rice cake," Kenshin said, and reached out, handing it to her. He smiled apologetically. "That is all I have, I'm afraid. It is traveling food."

She examined it quickly, then took a bite. It had no flavor; it's job was merely to fill your stomach, not provide enjoyable taste.

__

It is traveling food.

Ami chewed a bit more then swallowed. She faced him. 

"It's all right. It tastes fine to me," she lied. She tried not to feel too guilty. _Besides, _she thought, contentment spreading through her, _if it's traveling food, I better get used to it. I'm sure I will, after a while._

Kenshin stood up, brushing off the back of his hakama. She looked up at him.

"You do not want any?" she asked, and confusedly held out her piece to him. He laughed a little and held up a hand. "No, thank you." he said. "I will save the provisions. Finish up, and we'll decide what to do."

__

What to do? Ami wondered briefly before it struck her. _Where they would go_. She smiled briefly to herself. It didn't matter where they went. Wherever Kenshin decided to go, she would follow. 

__

Go.

Her eyes widened slightly. Leave this place completely. She had been so caught up at the idea of being near him, she had not payed too much attention to that little fact. She thought of her little home in the woods. All of her things...

__

Her things...

"I...."

He turned back to her. 

"If you want to leave as soon as possible, I won't go," she said hesitantly. 

__

What? he thought, eyes widening. _What-_

"But I still have things...at the forest. My things...I mean, the things I had finished making. I thought maybe I'd get them and distribute all of my projects to the villagers before we leave, but if you want to leave soon, I won't go get them."

__

Oh. He felt strangely relieved. 

"I see. We may get them, if you wish. I'm in no hurry."

She stared at him for a while longer, wondering if he truly did not mind. Then, seeing he expressed no annoyance, smiled at him, and turned her gaze to the road and where it led. She stiffened at the exact moment Kenshin wondered if she didn't care about going past the drunk's house. Seeing the movement, evidently he was mistaken. 

"I shall come with you. No harm will befall you." he said, coming towards her, sack over his shoulder, umbrella tied to it. He smiled grimly to himself. Already he was making promises. 

__

Promises are meant to be broken....

The small saying appeared in his mind. He shook it off and followed her as Ami quietly strode in the direction to the village. 

* * * * * * * * * * 

I don't know why. I shouldn't be afraid. That man...but you see, Kenshin, _Kenshin _is here to protect me. I feel a little guilty, as we go through the forest. I wonder if I should make my way to the road. Does Kenshin prefer a clear path? He isn't complaining. I wish he'd give me an opinion.

I feel guilty because I feel I am depending on him too much. That thought I had just a second ago. Kenshin is here to protect me, so I don't have to be afraid. That means, he is given more burdens-! I glanced up at him, staring at his eyes. He could tell I was staring, I knew, but he kept his gaze to the road. I looked back forward. I was a little surprised, but not very. I could see the same spark in Kenshin's eyes, like Hiro's. 

Cold, calculating, and clever. But Kenshin was not cold at all. Just serious. And he was very calculating and clever, I knew. Yes, he knows. He knows that if he gives his word to me that he'll protect me, then eventually my mind will relax and learn to rely on him, making me not worried and content, but at the same time, I _know, _it will be another burden. Another responsibility. And I don't want to be a responsibility to him.

__

What do you want to be to him?

......

Someone dear.

But I suppose...no matter what I do, I'll always be a responsibility to him. If he helps people...he takes on more responsibilities. Can't a man break from so much? A new thought.

I didn't understand. Was I making a big thing out of nothing?

I clenched my fists. Why were all these thoughts troubling me? 

* * * * * * * * *

They were nearing the drunk's house. Kenshin glanced at Ami. Her fists were clenched and she was sweating slightly, the beads of moisture collecting on her forehead. They walked together, side by side, and as each step brought them closer to the house, each step brought him closer to Ami. He laid a hand on her shoulder briefly, then began a faster pace, hurrying them through, a few steps before her to locate any danger.

She saw his intent and kept her usual pace, letting him go ahead. Her heart pounded. Then, suddenly, she took a deep breath and matched her pace to his, catching up so that they walked side by side once more.

Kenshin stared down at her, a little surprised. Didn't she know he was trying to protect her? But as he saw the strange look on her face, a mixture of pain, nervousness, and hesistant determination, he saw what she was voicing to him in her own way.

By coming up to him and walking side by side with him, she was showing him that she would not sit around and let herself be protected. She would back off when it was evident she was of no use, but for now, they would walk side by side together, not letting him take the full blows.

* * * * * *

Kenshin's eyes flickered over towards the direction of the road, where the drunk's house lay not far from. He could see it, now. Ami peered around him and her insides squirmed. Her body stiffened, and both she and Kenshin quickened their paces. They walked; Ami with her held-in breath, Kenshin with his narrowed eyes, and they walked further, until the house was long past and Ami let out her breath and smiled at Kenshin, who smiled in return.

__

First obstacle, Ami thought. First obstacle together. _Some obstacle, _the shrewder side of her snorted, and she couldn't help but smile. She felt so relieved.

She faced him and smiled at him again, feeling almost giddy. Kenshin saw and he let out a small laugh. Then they walked on in silence, Kenshin musing, Ami smiling in contentment at being with him.

After a while, they came to the forest. Kenshin looked around, more aware of the surroundings. He wondered what was in this forest, if it had been a good home to her. Ami let out her breath as she saw the familiar territory and raced up the slope, beckoning to him joyfully. As she came to the small hut, she was struck by a thought.

__

Messy messy messy!

Oh, she thought inwardly, racing around, grabbing the strange assortment of objects and tossing them aside to make room. She picked up the sandals and was about to toss them away, when she heard Kenshin come through the narrow, roughly put together doorway. 

"So this is where you live?" he asked, curiosity in his voice and eyes. She watched him nervously as he looked around at the cluttered hut. He turned, and she saw only his back. She didn't see him smile to himself as he saw the cluster of items.

__

A small craftsgirl, that she is...

He spotted a few more hand made umbrellas. As he went around, Ami was about to throw the sandals, but stopped abruptly as Kenshin's face turned towards her. She flushed. His eyes flickered to the sandals in her hand. 

"You made them?" he asked. She nodded, embaressed. 

"Hai." 

Kenshin's eyes beckoned to her, and she gingerly handed the sandals over to him. _Oh, damn. _

* * * * * * * * * *

Kenshin had watched her expression. She was too tense. Was it time for some comical relief?

She had handed the sandals to him with a sort of guilty expression. Like she suspected something bad would happen. Which would. But not really. It never really hurt _too_ much, after all.

Kenshin slipped out of his own sandals and began to slide into Ami's hand made ones. She watched him with a frozen expression, like a deer caught in headlights. 

"Ergh. Eh, um-" she struggled. She rose a hand and took a tentative step towards him.

__

Too late! Kenshin thought, feeling strangely gleefull.

The sandals completely on, he stood up and tried to take a step forward. He found he didn't need to try and trip on purpose; _She definately needs to practice making this thing, _he thought as he fell forward.

"ORO!" 

"Ah-" Ami choked, eyes wide, hand still traveling outwards.

"Oro........." he said, eyes swirling.

He lay there for a while, on his back, putting on a fake moan of fake pain. Ami stared. Kenshin sweatdropped at the back of his head. _Maybe this wasn't such a good idea? _

Just then, her lips slowly spread into a smile. She put a hand to her mouth, trying to cover it. A giggle escaped her. Then, she began to laugh out loud, shoulders shaking from mirth. 

Kenshin smiled as he saw her and heard her laughter ring out. _Children like her should laugh like that more often, _he thought. Though, really, he wasn't exactly sure why him getting "hurt" made children laugh. But it worked, that was for sure. He lay back and listened to her peals of laughter. It sounded quite pretty.

Her laughter subsided, and after the last giggles escaped her, she came forward and stooped down over him, smiling widely. Her eyes were sparkling, and her cheeks were a healthy pink. 

"Are you all right?" she asked, still smiling. He smiled innocently back.

"Ah," he said, using his arms to lift himself up. He brushed himself off, and Ami brought him his original sandals. After putting them on, she smiled again, this time, a little more abashedly.

"Gomen. I should've warned you about the sandals." she said, the talked about objects dangling off her finger by the strap.

"It's all right," Kenshin said airily. He looked around. "Shall we get going?"

Ami, still pink, nodded. She walked quickly around the small hut, picking up the best well working objects into her arms.

"Here," Kenshin said, untying his sack and spreading it open. Ami nodded her thanks and put all the objects inside.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"Hey! Hey, look over here!"

"Lookit, kaa-san, see what I got?"

"Arigatou!"

The children and a few of their parents gathered round. Kenshin watched, smiling, as Ami passed out the objects.

"Nazen! What did you get?" A young woman carrying a baby waved to a small boy in the middle of the bustle. The boy, Nazen, held up his slingshot in reply and was about to make his way back to her when Ami stopped him.

"Nazen? Nazen!" she called. He looked back to her confused. Ami quickly passed out more slingshots and tossed windmills to random hands, then picked up a rattle. The little boy made his way back to her, confused.

"Nazen," she said warmly, letting the eager hands grab the products, "Nazen, is that your little brother over there?" She nodded her head over to where the young woman stood with the baby boy. Nazen nodded dumbly. 

"Do you want to give a present to him? Do you think he'd like a rattle?" she asked.

The boy slowly digested the question, then nodded profusely, and broke into a shy smile as Ami dropped the rattle into his dirty hands.

The young woman peered at them confusedly, but then broke into a smile as Nazen pushed his way out of the crowd and waved the rattle and slingshot in the air happily. 

__

Arigatou, the woman mouthed to Ami before ushering Nazen away. Ami's eyes shone. Kenshin watched her.

* * * * * * * * * * *

They walked down the road together. Ami resisted the urge to glance at Kenshin. She wondered if he thought she was just a foolish little girl.

__

"Where do you want to go?"

She smiled hesitantly at him. "I'm not sure...anywhere, I suppose. Were you planning to go to a certain place?"

"No."

__

"I see...then let's...follow the sun," she said softly. 

He looked at her, surprised. She was, too. She looked at him, wondering why she had said such a thing out loud. But then he broke into a warm smile.

__

"It would be difficult to follow the sun," he said clearly. "It changes place every hour."

__

He was humoring her. She blushed slightly, then turned her gaze toward the horizon, where the sun was slowly making it's way out of sight.

__

"Then let's just follow the sunset...?"

__

She looked down, but could feel Kenshin's eyes on her. And then he moved forward, casting a shadow onto the ground.

And that was that. She followed him, a few steps back, watching the sun's last rays light his hair. Everything was enreathed in orange glow. She shook her thoughts away from Kenshin, instead thinking of today's success. She remembered the children, and Nazen, crowding around her and showing their gifts off to their-

......."Kenshin?"

"Hm?" he looked back at her over his shoulder and stopped. Ami wished that he kept going.

"Do you think...that lady with Nazen...do you think she was his mother, or his sister?"

"Why do you want to know?" he asked softly, regarding her carefully.

She blushed a little. _When will I be able to stop doing that? _she thought dimly before answering.

"I just...was wondering."

Kenshin looked to the sky.

"She was young enough to be his sister-"

Ami's eyes looked dull.

"And old enough to be his mother."

She glanced away.

"Souka...." she said softly. "I feel...bad for them...they don't have much, do they?"

Kenshin stared at her, eyes flickering. He laid a hand on her shoulder.

"They have each other. It will be enough for them, at least."

He turned away and began to walk again. Ami felt a bit of the weight in her chest leave her, and she followed faithfully behind.

~Owari~

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

****

Author's Notes:

Ah. I loved writing this chapter. Oh, and if you don't get why Ami was wondering about whether the lady was Nazen's sister/mother...I'm not too sure either. I guess cuz it's usually bad for young mothers. So you feel sorry for them...I dunno. It just melted in as I wrote. And that "Follow the Sun" thing melted in as well. What the heck, _everything _melted in. The only objective of this chapter was to get them going! @_@ And...goodness, Ami swore. Was that too OOC? (I think that is Out of Character). Its just that when I was writing that part, I swore in my head too, and I consider Ami and myself to be psychically linked (as she is a product of my brain, we share a special bond, haha) so I just put that in. I hope it wasn't a bad decision.

Also, I put down the metaphor/simile/whatever "deer in headlights". I perfectly know that there were no "headlights" back then, but I just wanted you to get the mental image.

****

REPLIES: (my favorite part! ^^ That's why they're so long, gomen.)

AnimeAmba: *does a dance along with you* Yup! Now their journey can finally get started! It was a little obvious I suppose that he would say yes. After all, if he said no, how would the story go on? Ami cries, goes back to the woods, maybe gets caught by Gakuma again, or maybe not, feels depressed, kills herself in misery???! X_X' Exactly! So that will not, cannot happen! X_X' Synonyms?? I don't even know what that is! 0_o' Similes, Metaphors, and Synonyms. Heard of all of them in English class, but forgot what they all were. -_-' Are they synonyms things that have the same meaning? Aren't you able to use a thesaurus for those kind of things? There are such things online...

Haruko: Yeah, I'm hoping the action will pick up. 0_o' Like I said up there in the Author's Notes, suggestions for events would be nice! Events, as in things for them to encounter. 0_0 I have such low imagination. All I can imagine now for their travelings is nice peaceful events, "life" events, er...no action! X_X' Robbers, drunk guys....that's all I can think of. How sad. I'll have to hurt my brain for this one. And yeah, Kenshin is such a sweet guy. That's why I just love 'im! ^_^

EEevee: Stubborn lil bugger? You mean Ami-chan? 0_0' Heh. That's the problem with chatting online. Sometimes you can't tell if they're sarcastic, or talking about a completely different thing?? X_X' Sorry. Yeah, I'd expect Kenshin to look at it more than one side. I look at things, about...2 sides. I'm mostly one sided on how THE WORLD IS DESTROYING NATURE! EVIL! *is crazy, ignore me* 

X_X' Anywayz...next chappy....may take a while. A long while. Oh dear. Especially since I've come up with a bunch of other fic ideas. Heh. Its messed up. See ya!  


PS, Oh yeah, in case anyone didn't know, Souka means "I see." At least, I'm pretty sure it does. ^_^


	7. Flying

****

~Flying~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

__

"What's a guardian?" she asked.

__

Hiro turned to her, looking at her with calm eyes. They almost looked grey, in this weather.

__

"Someone who will protect you."

Ami smiled to herself, and gently slipped her hand in his. He looked down at their clasped palms without expression.

"Then you're my guardian, ne?" she stated, contentment spreading over her.

She watched him nod silently, then look up to the sky.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

It felt a little strange, having someone walk behind me again. I was strongly reminded of...her.

She reminded me so very much of Tomoe, that while ago. The way she walked silently behind me, letting us catch up to our own thoughts. The way her voice suddenly rang out, without warning. Tomoe always did that. If some question, some worry, some thought appeared in her mind, she would voice it to me, almost without hesitation. I wish now, that she had voiced more of her worries. Who knows; perhaps something would've changed.

I had been thinking of the villagers also, when she brought up her question. I was remembering, how similar it seemed to how my life in Otsu was. I was reminded first of all the children who came to play with me, while Tomoe stood in front of the house, watching us. Sometimes, I thought I could catch the signs of a smile, but she always turned away before I could make sure. I was secondly reminded of us, Tomoe and I, selling medicines. Of course, the men and women gathered around more neatly then those children...

Her question surprised me. I didn't think she'd have really noticed a thing like that. But then, she did seem to be a bit more perceptive then children her age usually were. I quickly wondered what I was like at her age. At her age, the bandits had already attacked the slave caravan, and I was with Shishou. Shishou had always complained about me, but that didn't really mean anything. I asked her why she wished to know what that woman's relation to Nazen was, but she didn't give a straight reply. As always, I answered with the truth.

"She was young enough to be his sister... and old enough to be his mother."

Ami's eyes had looked strange, and she had turned away. I wondered what thoughts plagued her.

"Souka...." she said softly. "I feel...bad for them...they don't have much, do they?"

This child... I moved forward to lay a hand on her shoulder.

"They have each other. It will be enough for them, at least."

Then I began to start walking again, and heard her give a tiny sigh before following me again. Really, her similarity to Tomoe was almost uncanny. Ami's prescence was resurfacing all of these memories...

If we had had a daughter, Tomoe and I.....would she be anything like Ami?

The thought was quick and fleeting. I knew what death was. Better then most people. 

I could hear Ami's footsteps behind me... 

Death was final. Tomoe was dead. It would do no good, yearning for her. I would honor and respect her memory, by never killing again, ever. That was the one thing I could do for her. But now, I knew, I should concentrate on the people who were alive, around me. Like Ami.

It was dark now. The only trace of the sun was the fading orange far ahead. I remembered Ami's words, and then wondered how long she could walk. I usually walked well into the night before making camp, but with Ami here...

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"The sun's gone," Kenshin said. Ami's head jerked up to look at him. He paused and looked at her.

__

Stopping already? she wondered. _Kenshin... Kenshin cannot be possibly tired now, right?_

It's for me... she realized. Her stomach dropped a little. Her earlier thoughts about being a burden resurfaced. Could she refuse, and still be polite?

"Souka..." she said, wringing her hands. "Demo...we don't have to stop now, if you don't want," she said hastily. "I'm not tired at all!" She spread her arms, as if trying to guesture that she truly wasn't, though arms had nothing to do with her legs. 

Kenshin smiled a little at this. Then he turned, and faced the quickly fading orange.

"Then let's go till we can follow the sun no longer," he said, feeling light-hearted.

Ami smiled widely at this and charged forward.

"Hai! Until the stars are showing!" she shouted.

Kenshin watched her take a running leap, spreading her arms in the little time she stayed up in the air. She landed, a little cloud of dust rising up. She spun around and faced him, cheeks pink and eyes shining. But as Kenshin walked towards her, she suddenly blinked and averted her gaze, shyly.

Kenshin wondered why he seemed to intimidate her so much. He gave her a smile, while feeling strangely helpless. Then she glanced over to his face and he nodded at her, as if saying, go on, run around. She blinked again and she gave a hesitant smile as she dashed forward again.

There was a slight breeze, and Ami ran faster, so that the wind whipped her hair behind her face. She loved running against the wind. It faintly felt as if she was flying. She gathered more speed, then kicked out at the ground, launching herself.

"Hyah!" she cried. She skidded to a stop, hopping a few times on her foot to get balance. She spun around to see Kenshin behind her, still walking, a smile evident on his face. Her eyes sparkled happily at this and she started to run again.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

__

"Hiro! Hiro, have you ever flown?" she asked, already knowing the answer, but asking anyway.

Her brother shook his head and glanced over at her from where he was sitting. They were outside in the field, and it was a warm and sunny day. She hopped a little bit, and glanced at him, face sparkling happily. Hiro just watched her with no expression.

"I wish I could fly," she said matter of factly. Ami ducked her head slightly and peered at Hiro playfully, as if about to tell him a secret. He watched her calmly.

"Have you ever wished you were a bird, Hiro?" she asked, expecting a no. She was surprised when he answered.

"Yes," he said, and looked up to the sky. There were birds flying overhead just now.

She looked up with him, then turned to him eagerly.

"Yes? Do you still want to, Hiro?" She loved saying his name. It was like a good luck charm to her, vaguely.

He shook his head. Ami's happiness dwindled a little. She walked up to him slowly.

"Why not, Hiro?" she asked softly.

He turned to her, eyes looking an intelligent blue. She looked at his eyes thoughtfully. Usually they were so empty.

"Because birds cannot choose what to do. They grow, hunt, mate, build nests, then die. Humans have more choices than that."

Ami frowned a little. She didn't care about those things. She didn't want to look at it so seriously. But if Hiro said so...

"Souka..." she whispered a little. She walked around the field, no longer running and pretending to flap imaginary wings. Hiro looked at her.

"But for now...you can go ahead. Fly," he said.

Ami whirled around to look at him with wide eyes. Her face broke into a smile. She loved him so much for that. 

"Tia!" she cried. And then she began to run.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

She stopped at the edge of the road, panting. She bent over slightly, hands on her knees. Kenshin slowly walked up to her, smiling gently. She looked up at him, standing straight. Her eyes flickered for a moment, and then she seemed to have made up her mind.

"Kenshin?" she asked.

"What?" he inquired, curious to know what thoughts were on her mind.

"Have you ever wished you were...um.." she broke off, losing her nerve, looking off to the side. 

Kenshin sighed, quietly so that she would not hear. She seemed to have sensed his disappointment though, because she turned quickly to look up at him again. 

"How far can you jump?" she blurted.

Kenshin blinked. 

"Ah," he said, putting a hand to his head, smiling a little. "Quite a way, I believe." 

Ami blushed a little, looking off to the side again.

"Like you saw, I can't jump very far." She glanced at him again. "I wish I could. It makes me feel like I can fly."

"I've...never really thought about it that way," Kenshin said slowly. When he practiced his jumps, as they were essential for Hiten Mitsurugi, he had always concentrated on perfection so that he could carry out the attack. Not on the wind rushing past him... Kenshin looked at Ami. He expected her to become shy again, now that he had told her he had never thought about such things.

But instead, she was smiling gently to herself, as if caught up in memories. 

__

Memories... what was your life like, before, Ami? 

"The stars are showing," he said quietly. "Let's make camp."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

It's really late. We've already had a small dinner, and the fire's already died out. Even Kenshin looks like he was asleep. But I can't stop pondering...I think I know why, now.

I was never afraid of receiving a real questioning look from Hiro, or a look of disgust. I had come to always expect his calm, serious face. And with it...I felt he'd never feel annoyed at me. He was always just..._there_. Watching me without opinion. So I wasn't afraid to do whatever I wanted, whether it was running around, making bird calls, or even asking silly questions.

But Kenshin's face expresses emotion. He has a glare when he is angry, and he smiles when he is pleased. So...I was deathly afraid...of getting a look...that would say he was displeased with me. A scornful look. That's why I acted so restrained around him. But from what I know of him...I don't think Kenshin could look at me, or anyone else who was good, like that. But that doesn't stop me from being afraid.

But I also sense...he doesn't like it when I act restrained. Like he feels a little sad. And I don't want him to be. I'll try to break this habit, for him. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

"You...could've woken me up, you know. I wouldn't mind," Ami said hesitantly after she got up. She had woken to see the fire restarted and Kenshin already set to go.

Kenshin smiled a little and shook his head. 

"Children need their sleep. And I already used the time well. I scouted ahead, and there is a small village there."

"Ah," she said, slipping on her sandals and pack. Kenshin handed her some rice cake. She took a small bite then looked at him as he put out the fire.

"You're...not eating again?" she asked, feeling strangely dejected. "Is it because I'm-"

"No, no," Kenshin said quickly. He feigned an innocent smile. "I just do not feel like eating, de gozaru."

Ami watched him, a little warily. After she finished, Kenshin stood up, gathering his belongings. Including the umbrella, Ami noticed, feeling slightly satisfied.

"Let's go."

He started the pace, Ami following. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Author's Notes:

Gomen, if the ending of this chapter was too abrupt. Once again, not really too much action, just bonding. ^^' Sorry if it's beginning to bore you. But I feel most of the chapters will turn out like that. Well, at least until...something. ^_^ Like I said, I had this whole story planned out in my mind, so at one point, I know there'll be lots of "action".

Plus, (I guess this can be considered good news) I finished drawing a pic of Kenshin and Ami, so now you'll get to see what she looks like. However, my drawing skills aren't that good...heh...so.. she really is cuter than how I drew her. ^^'' *sweatdrop* When my friend comes back from vacation at the beginning of January, I'll ask her if we can scan it and post it on her website. There'll also be multiple pics of her, so what she looks like I suppose is a blend of all of them. Hopefully I'll be able to draw at least _one _picture of her that does her justice of how I picture her in my mind.

****

Response to Reviews:

Haruko: Thanks for the compliments. And..heh..erm...*shifts uneasily* Unfortunately...I'm not sure if Hiro will ever show up again. I'm not saying he's dead...I was thinking of leaving a little possibility that he was alive, somewhere, but I'm not sure of Ami ever meeting him again. I noticed you seemed to be really interested in Hiro, so I included more flashbacks in this chapter. I hope that can sort of satisfy you. Oh, that reminds me.

*NOTE: I hope you can decipher which events are actually **dreams** or **flashbacks**!!! Everything in this one were flashbacks, but I think all of the previous were dreams.*

Also, about Ami learning swordsmanship...I wasn't planning on that happening, and if it did, I think it'd screw up a few things later on. Really really sorry. Like I said before, I want to stick to the original story plan, but now that I'm getting such wonderful support, I feel a little guilty about denying your suggestions. I hope I can satisfy your expectations for this story with the way it was planned in my head. 

****

AnimeAmba: Thank you for the compliments! I'm glad you could feel the character's feelings. And hurrah, I was right with the synonym thing! I won't fail English! :P Actually, my problem is more of remembering words. Like once I was trying to remember a word for an uncultured civilization that wasn't brutal or anything...er...I still don't know. Uncivilized, pre-something?? X_X' forget it.

Kitty-jinxx: Wow. I never really thought of Ami and Hiro that way... ^^' I'd like to think they were pretty original. Especially Ami. *nods quickly* ....Well, actually, Hiro not so much. 

(whispers: I stole him from another anime and altered him slightly. .' Now the secrets out. Uh-oh.)


	8. Daughters & Domon

*Disclaimer: I own quite a lot in this chapter. ^_^ As always, I own Ami, who I cherish very much, and now I own Domon and Sachi-san too! Not too mention little Nazen from before. I still don't own Kenshin, but don't worry, I'm working on it! :P*

~Innocence is shattered, a man hides behind his mask. She finds a home in him, and adoration begins to shine in her eyes...~

****

Daughters & Domon

__

A village, Ami thought as they walked. _Maybe...I can get Kenshin something. _She became more aware of the money pouch inside her pack. Not that she had too much, though...

However, it was nice to dream. If she _did _have that kind of money...what could she get? Ami watched Kenshin walking in front of her, his high ponytail swishing. She smiled. Then her eyes turned to his gi. The edges were slightly frayed, and Ami could see very faint traces of stains on it. She pursed her lips.

She knew her own clothes were frayed. But it didn't matter; she was just a little peasant girl. Kenshin ought to have something better. He was a traveling swordsman, a hero... She began to idly pick out colors and patterns in her mind, passing the time.

~*~

They walked further, and both noticed the farms they began to pass more frequently. Both were reminded faintly of their old lives. Kenshin remembered the time when his name was Shinta, living with parents he couldn't recall too well, and Ami, of her brother and the labors they had tending to the small field.

After a while, they finally walked down the road that led to the center of the small town. They walked down the main street, grocers calling out to anyone who passed, shouting their prices.

"Do you want to get anything?" they asked each other simutaneously. Ami blinked. Kenshin blinked.

"Um..." Ami reached up to unconciously twirl her hair. "How much food do we have left?"

"A bit. I'll buy more." 

"I have money too," Ami started, turning to get her pack of her shoulders, when a yell erupted.

"Hey!"

Ami was suddenly bowled over by a man clutching a money pouch to his chest, pushing through the small crowd frantically. 

"Ah-" Ami started, eyes widening. She felt a hand against her back, helping her balance, and then it disappeared. "Kenshin!"

But he was already gone. Ami spun around to face the direction where the thief had gone, and saw a flash of red. The thief halted at the sight of the sword in front of him. Kenshin stood there, eyes narrowed slightly. 

"Kindly return that man's purse," he said quietly, eyes flickering to the panting man who had rushed over.

The robbed man came forward, his expression mixed with anger and gratefulness. 

"Don't do that again," Kenshin said softly, withdrawing his sword as soon as the pouch was dropped into the rightful owner's hand. The thief whimpered a bit then dashed forward, crowd making way. Ami jogged up to Kenshin, a startled and amazed expression on her face.

"You're fast," she stated dubiously, and Kenshin laughed. The robbed man looked at them, and his face errupted into a happy smile. He looked to be in his late twenties, and wore considerably wealthy clothes.

"Arigatou, Arigatou gozaimasu," he cried, and moved forward to clasp Kenshin on the shoulder. The pair turned to face him, with curious looks. The man smiled, beaming.

"My name is Domon Kamashi. Thank you so much, my friends. Please allow me to treat you to dinner!" he cried.

Ami smiled at his cheerfulness, then looked up at Kenshin.

"We do not wish to intrude, and it was nothing," Kenshin said, holding up his hand. "We are merely wanderers...rurouni."

Ami smiled. _Rurouni. We. _She turned to Domon to see what his reaction would be. His reaction was to completely ignore them. "No no, come, we have plenty of food, and to refuse would sadden me!"

And with that, Domon Kamashi seized Kenshin's wrist and dragged him forward, Kenshin's other hand clasping Ami's. The small human chain then disappeared into the bustle...

~*~

"He would've made us come no matter what we said, ne?" Ami smiled to Kenshin as they walked down a small path to Domon's house, the subject of her talk walking a few feet in front of them.

"Yes. But, refusing was courteous." Kenshin smiled down at her. He was rather glad their host made sure they would accept. He wasn't too sure how much food a young girl should get, but definately not the amount he _had _been giving her. Having dinner here would be good for her.

They soon approached the house, which was rather....

"Sugoi..." Ami peeped. She and Kenshin stood in awe at the rather large house. Domon laughed and rambled on cheerfully about how his father had struck it good in mining, and his father before him, and his father before that... 

As he talked and they came further to the house, they could see a woman coming outside. The woman waved a bit, then waited patiently till they walked up the steps. She had kind brown eyes, and dark hair in a bun.

"Ha, hello Anata," she smiled. She bowed to Kenshin and Ami, and Ami bowed deeply, fumblingly. Kenshin smiled at this and merely inclined his head. Domon smiled broadly.

"Sachi, this is Kenshin-san and Ami-chan."

Ami blushed a bit at the endearment.

"They helped me stop a thief, who had stolen my purse."

To their surprise, Sachi promptly whacked Domon lightly on the head.

"How many times has that happened? It's only the second week of March, and you've already gotten it nabbed four times this month!!"

Domon smiled, oblivious to the small whack she dealt him again. "I invited them to dinner! They are ronin, and are staying the night too."

"Ah?!" Kenshin and Ami gawked a little. They definately didn't remember agreeing to that.

Sachi stopped her whacking and immidietly transformed into a being as cheery as Domon. She put on a hostess smile, and clapped her hands cheerfully.

"Well, that's wonderful! We have plenty of room and food to spare. Come in!" She ushered them in quickly.

"Would you and your daughter like to get cleaned up first?"

Ami turned bright red, while Kenshin turned slightly pink. _Daughter? _Ami looked up at Kenshin, feeling embaressed yet pleased. _Can I really pass off as his child? _

Kenshin gave a short embaressed laugh and tried to explain.

"Ah, but Ami-chan is not my-" but he was cut off as servants swirled around them, taking their packs upstairs, bustling about. Sachi chirped at them, asking them their favorite dishes.

"A-any," Ami stuttered, Kenshin nodding. And then, suddenly Sachi was pushing them upstairs.

"Get cleaned up, the servants prepared baths-"

"But-"

And then they were pushed into their room.

~*~

"Ano...is this the bathtub?"

Ami pointed dumbly at the strange white tub filled with hot water. Kenshin came into the bathroom and stared.

"I suppose. It looks foreign," he said, tracing a finger along the smooth surface. Ami made a little face.

"It looks like you can slip in there."

"Aa."

Ami looked up at him. "Do you want to go first?"

Kenshin shook his head and smiled at her. "You can go if you want." Ami slowly nodded then looked around. Sure enough, on a little stool, there was a kimono about her size. She walked slowly over to it and lifted it up. It was a dark magenta color with green vines curling over the left side. She held it up to her and turned to Kenshin, who stared appraisingly. It looked well contrasting with her midnight black hair. She smiled a bit shyly and set it down, and Kenshin exited the room, closing the door slightly behind him.

Ami peeled off her clothes, and sank into the hot bath. She was a bit dismayed at how quickly the water turned a very light brown. _Am I really so dirty? _She scrubbed at her skin harshly. Then, she sank back, letting the water wet her hair.

__

They thought...that I was his daughter. Ami tilted her head so that she could see through the small crack of the door. Kenshin was rummaging through his pack. _They thought...that he was my father. _Her heart beat quicker. She shifted and the water made small waves. _He called me "chan" _she realized suddenly. _When Kenshin was trying to explain...was that a secret message to me? That he **does** feel that way? Or was it really nothing, a slip of tongue...?_

She watched him through the crack, eyes bleary.

~*~

Kenshin stood and looked around the room. Regular Japanese closets, but Western beds. Kenshin put a hand on one of the beds and pressed down experimentally. There was some type of metal under there, he decided. When he removed his hand, the small pit sprung up again. He sighed. He hoped they wouldn't be uncomfortable. He'd have rathered sleep on the floor, if that wouldn't be disrespectful to his hosts.

He stared at the two beds, rather gratefully. It would've been rather uncomfortable to share a bed with Ami. She was only a child to him, but she _was_ ten. It would've been unproper. He remembered Sachi-dono's mistake. He would have to correct her sooner or later. He smiled a bit. He was reminded of the thought he had had yesterday. 

Would you and your daughter-

If Tomoe and I-

.....He heard Ami sloshing in the tub, beginning to hum idly. He closed his eyes, feeling peaceful. A knock came to the door, and Kenshin heard Ami make a small eep and stop her humming. Smiling, Kenshin walked over to the door and opened it to see a servant. The servant bowed a little.

"Mr. Himura? The Mistress was wondering if you would accompany her to the garden."

Kenshin blinked. "Yes, of course," he answered, wondering what intent Sachi-dono had. The servant went away, and Kenshin came to the doorway of the bathroom.

"Ami," he said softly, not to alarm her. He heard the water slosh as she moved. 

"Yes?"

He cautiously peeked through the crack of the door. Ami's arms and head hung over the rim of the bathtub, peering at him curiously. "Sachi-dono has requested that I see the garden with her. I will be back in a while." Ami smiled at him.

"Okay. I'll be done by then," she said, then disappeared back inside the tub. Kenshin smiled and closed the door fully shut, then exited the room.

~*~

It really was a nice day, Kenshin thought to himself as he entered the garden. Different birds were flying around from tree to tree, and further up Kenshin thought he could spy a Koi pond. Further down the path he could see Sachi.

He hurried his pace so that she wouldn't wait long. As he came up to her, he could see a soft smile on her face. 

"Mr. Himura," she said, a small nod of her head.

"Hello," he returned, feeling slightly nervous. How many personalities did this woman have? Just a while ago she was so...hyper.

Sachi Kamashi began to walk down the path, Kenshin following her lead.

"How long have you and your daughter been traveling, Mr. Himura?"

"Ah," Kenshin said, putting an awkward hand to his neck. "Ami is not my daughter, de gozaru."

Sachi looked up at him in surprise. "Is that so?"

Kenshin nodded. He wondered if he was going to be reprimanded for not telling her sooner. "Yes. In fact, we just met...about four days ago." It sounded strange even to him. Only four days?...

"Oh!" She gave an embaressed little laugh. "You two looked so familiar with each other, I just presumed..."

"I understand." He thought for a while, deciding. After making up his mind, he smiled. "She does feel like one, however. I came to meet her under...rather unfortunate circumstances, for her part." His tone of voice had become more serious.

Sachi gave a small nod, not wanting to inquire further. She tried to make the topic lighter.

"Even though we've just met, I can tell she is a very sweet girl."

They walked on in silence, Kenshin turning his attention to the flowers.

"I....I am not able to have children, Mr. Himura."

Kenshin turned to her, shocked at her statement. She smiled a little wistfully.

"Seeing you and Ami-chan together...it seemed so precious."

Kenshin turned his gaze away from her.

"I love children. And if you and Ami-chan do not have plans...we'd both love it if you could stay for a while. At least get more provisions. Because....I just want to know!"

Her voice rose slightly, wavering. "I want to know...if I'd make a good mother. I just want to see...if this isn't a punishment from the gods! If it isn't for the best..."

The air seemed too tense for Kenshin's liking. He let out the pent up air inside of him.

"We'll stay for a while, Sachi-dono..." She was a few steps ahead of him, head down. He turned and began to walk the path back to the house. "As long as we're welcome. I'll see you at dinner." 

"Mr. Himura!"

He turned, trying to ignore the tears in her eyes as he looked into her face. She gave a small smile.

"You have something precious with you. Do not lose it." 

~*~

Ami was sitting on the bed, wearing the new kimono. She looked up and gave a happy smile as Kenshin came through the door.

"Hello! Was the garden nice?"

Kenshin tilted his head to look at her. He gave a small smile. "It was beautiful. Perhaps you will be able to see it, tomorow."

"Tomorow? So we _are _staying tonight?" She watched Kenshin nod. She smiled to herself, eyes lowered. "They seem like very nice people, ne?"

Kenshin didn't reply. Instead he strode into the bathroom.

"One of the servants came and refilled it, and gave you a set of clothes to change into," she called, stating the obvious as Kenshin looked around.

"All right," he answered, and gently closed the door behind him. Ami looked down to the floor, hands clasped together on her lap.

__

What were they doing? she wondered, feeling a bit sadder. _Kenshin looked like something was on his mind...I wish he would tell me._

She slowly lay back onto the bed, twisting a bit, trying to get used to it. She put her hand to the collar of the kimono, fingering the material. She smiled a bit. She had never worn anything so beautiful before. Or so confining... It was nice to wear such fancy clothes, but she felt a lot freer in her raggedy garb.

Her stomach growled. Ami turned pink and rolled onto her stomach, trying to muffle the sounds. She looked at the door to the bathroom, trying to listen for any sound that Kenshin had heard. None. She sighed a bit, and began to twirl her hair idly. Truth be told, she _had _been a lot hungrier lately, traveling with Kenshin. She was used to not having a lot of food, but walking all day as well had taken a small toll on her. She stiffled her stomach pangs as much as she could, which were already pretty minimal, and thankfully Kenshin hadn't seemed to notice. It didn't matter how hungry she felt. She'd starve herself before complaining about the lifestyle she shared with Kenshin. 

Ami's mind suddenly wandered to the dinner. These were _rich _people. Ami wasn't sure about their customs. _Kenshin might know, _she thought. She didn't know what Kenshin's past life was about, except that he had probably been put in a battle of some sort; hence the deaths he had caused. Maybe he had been the vassal or son of a rich lord, fighting for him, but renounced his title when the blood had been spilled, Ami wondered, eyes sparkling as she thought of how heroic that sounded. That sounded just right for him.

Her mind strayed to the previous thought. Slowly, she got up from the bed and went to the mirror. She stared at herself. Her hair was still slightly damp. It was long and still a bit tangled, falling past her shoulders. Ami remembered Sachi's neat bun and looked to the floor. She was beginning to feel a bit nervous. She stood up and knocked on Kenshin's door.

"Kenshin?"

"Hai?" Kenshin's voice was slightly muffled through the door. He wondered what was wrong. Ami sounded worried.

"Do you-....d'you think I should put my hair up?"

"Oro!" Whatever he had been expecting, that had not been it.

Ami blinked at his cry and couldn't help looking a tiny bit miffed. "Aiya, Kenshin! Do you think I'm supposed to??"

Kenshin didn't answer for a bit. Ami was sure if she looked, she would see Kenshin laughing. She waited for a minute, then called softly, "Kenshin?" No answer, and another miffed look. "Ken-"

"If you wish, Ami-chan." His voice sounded like he was trying to conceal amusement. But Ami couldn't help feel more light hearted at the endearment. "But I believe both Domon and Sachi-dono would not mind either way." 

"Okay..." She stepped away from the door and returned to the mirror, picking up a hair tie on the way. 

__

Just to see, ne? She cautiously gathered her hair up and tried to twist it into a bun like the one Sachi was wearing.

...She messed up.

"Ah..." she made a small frustrated noise and tried again. But after tying it together, the bun fell to her neck, stray hair all around. A word came to mind. One that could be used for all situations as helpless as these.

"K...Kus-"

"Ami?"

It was needless to say she was more than startled. Ami spun around, heart pounding wildly. Kenshin was standing at the doorway, looking at her confusedly.

__

Swearing? Kenshin thought, almost disbelievingly. He pretended that he hadn't heard her so he wouldn't have to deal with it, because he wasn't sure how to. Should he just ignore it and pretend swears were the normal vocabulary of a young girl, or actually reprimand her?

She stared up at him, shocked and embaressed. "Ano...." she trailed off, staring. Kenshin was dressed in a black haori jacket with dragons emboidered on the front and sleeves, with a blue gi and pants. His hair was still down. She gaped for a while longer, then flushed, looking away. Her gaze fell to the hair tie in her hand. She held it up to him, trying to find words. 

"I couldn't do it..." Her gaze had a slight desperation to it. "Did you..." _Did you hear me? _She tried to finish her sentence, but couldn't find any words."...Gomen," she said, lamely.

She stood up, staring at her hands a while longer, than walked to the door. She was about to step out when she paused and faced him. "I...I'm going out for a bit." Her face had a distraught and very helpless look as she gazed at him, then turned away and stepped out, shutting the door behind her, leaving a very confused and awkward Kenshin behind.

~*~

__

Stupid, she thought to herself. _Idiot. _She wasn't sure why she acted like she did. All she knew was that a deep shame was welling up inside of her. She wanted to rectify herself to Kenshin, explaining to him that she didn't swear much and this was one of the few times she had even bothered to try. The way he had looked at her...like he was shocked that she would mouth such a thing. _Perhaps he saw me as a little girl, _Ami wondered miserably. Before, she might've been unsatisfied with such a vision, but now she was yearning for it. _And he was shocked that I would do such a thing. And then I stared at him like an idiot. But he...he looked so perfect, standing there. _

She wandered down the hall, barely noticing the beauitul paintings and decor. A voice called her from her thoughts.

"Ami-chan?"

Ami looked up, startled. Sachi was standing in front of her.

"Ah, hello Sachi-san." Ami gave a little bow, and Sachi smiled at her.

"Would you like to help me in the kitchens?"

"You-...you're cooking yourself?" Ami was surprised. She'd have thought the servants would do it. Sachi nodded.

"Cooking is a favorite of mine, so practically all of the meals are prepared by me." Sachi turned and took a few steps towards the stairways leading down to the first floor. She paused, and waited, hesistantly. 

__

Like she's afraid, Ami realized.She stared for a second, then bobbed her head in a "yes" and followed her down the stairs.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Author's Notes:

Hurray! Another chapter finished. *sigh* I had no idea when to end this one. I originally thought I'd be able to end it after their dinner, but then all these other things took so long...^^ I changed the summary, so that's why the old one is up at the top. I decided to make it more informative. :P

What was I gonna say?? Erm...oh yeah!! I finished drawing a picture of Ami! ^_^ On the computer, and it's pretty okay if I do say so myself...^^' Then I realized, I didn't have to wait to post it on a website! I could just attatch it to an email and send it to all of you. But I didn't do it right then, because I was afraid that maybe it would fill up your inbox or something (I'm not sure how much space the picture will take, not too much I hope). It's Ami when she was 7. Anyway, if you'd like to see it, let me know and I'll send it to you, kay?

****

Replies:

Haruko: Thank you for the support! And you're fics were really good, so I'm not so much better. ^^' In fact, I think I'm worse off. I have so many fic ideas in my head, that it's hard to keep track. @_@' Oro....

AnimeAmba: Yeah...I picked up a manga of "Oh My Goddess" today from the library, and I was amazed at their hairstyles. I admire the manga authors for being able to create such original looks...^^' Also...*drags you out again* Don't hide! Lookie here, peeps! Another good author! ^_^

Baka: *salutes* Working as fast (Er...okay, maybe a little less ^^') as I can! Glad you like.

PS, Oh yeah, I apologize for leaving such a big gap at the last chapter after it ended...I hadn't realized. 0_o' Well, HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!


	9. The Dullness of A Blade

**Disclaimer: Kenshin...I need to own you!

Kenshin: Oro???

Me: Heh, that didn't sound right, huh? *sigh* I do not own Rurouni Kenshin, or Kenshin himself...but you know?? This is almost as good...** 

****

The Dullness of A Blade

~*~

__

~What's wrong?

I don't really know.

All I know, is that you seem to be flying away...~

~*~

Kenshin sat on the bed, absentmindedly drying his hair.

__

"...Gomen," she said, in a terrified whisper. She looked like she could bolt away, but instead rose slowly and headed for the door. It seemed she was going to leave without a word, but then she paused, saying an excuse for trying to get away from him. "I...I'm going out for a bit."

__

Get away from him...

Kenshin stared at the shut door, feeling disoriented. Thoughts jumbled, replaying the last few moments over in his mind. His lips moved. "Kuso..." he whispered.

The word seemed appropriate...

His hand went to his hair tie, slowly gathering his hair into the high ponytail he always wore.

~*~

The kitchen smelled wonderful. Over on one side, there were various types of buns being steamed and soups, the other, vegetables being prepared to be put into their dishes.

Sachi covered her hair with a small cloth, handing Ami one also. Ami tied the corners together at the back of her neck, so that her hair would be kept back. They put on their aprons. Ami smiled shyly at Sachi and complimented her at the food.

"It smells really good," she said. Sachi smiled broadly. Ami washed her hands and quickly dried them, coming over to where Sachi waited.

"What can I do?" 

"Can you chop and skin vegetables?"

Ami nodded. Sachi pointed over to the cutting board, where a knife waited and a small pile of vegetables.

"Please cut the cai thinly. And if you want, peel the potatoes?"

Ami smiled and walked quickly to the cutting board. She carefully picked up the knife and positioned the cai underneath.

"The cai will be put into soup," Sachi continued, bustling over the cooking pots. "Do you like sweet potato?"

"I've never tried it," Ami answered, chopping carefully. She heard Sachi give a small exclamation.

"Really? It's one of my favorites." Sachi turned to give Ami a warm smile. "I hope you'll like it."

"Me too," she answered, earnestly.

Sachi stood at the center of the kitchen, not sure what to do. She peered at Ami's slow chopping, and hesitantly came over. Ami paused and looked up at her. 

"Shall I show you?" Sachi extended her hand and received the knife. Ami stepped sideways, letting Sachi gain access to the cutting board. Her eyes widened slightly as Sachi chopped quickly, going at least three times the pace Ami had. 

"You see," Sachi said, still chopping quickly, "you don't want to lift up the knife too high. Just lift it high enough to slide the cai underneath. It's less dangerous _and _quicker."

Ami nodded, watching her admiringly. She was struck by a thought.

"It reminds me of Kenshin. He's very good at swords," she said, even though she had only seen him in action two times. She felt awkward, letting the moment resurface. Maybe Kenshin was mad at her, for walking out so rudely? Her gaze lowered, and Sachi noticed, halting her cutting and turning to her.

"I'm sure Himura-san is." Her tone was warm. Ami blinked and smiled, slowly taking the knife again and mimicking Sachi's demonstration. The pace was still slow, but as Sachi watched, it began to increase as Ami became more skilled.

"There you go!"

"Yes," said Ami. She felt immensely proud.

~*~

Kenshin slowly walked down the stairs, glancing left and right, searching for Ami. He suddenly heard laughter, coming from behind the door. The entry to the kitchens, apparently, as he heard the sounds of chopping and steaming coming from it. 

He strode forward and slowly pushed open the door.

Ami was standing there, a proper little chef. She was chopping quickly, eyes kept to her work though chatting animatedly with Sachi, who apparently had just finished speaking. 

"Really?" she laughed. "You must be strong, Sachi-san."

Sachi gave a small laugh that sounded remarkably like a giggle as she nodded. 

"That's why it's rather frustrating to have him come home saying he's been robbed. He _is _a strong man, but not very quick, if you know what I mean."

Ami's face suddenly adopted and uncomfortable look. "Is it...all right to talk of Domon-san like this....?"

"It's fine, it's fine, the old goof doesn't mind a bit," she said, waving a hand unconcerningly. 

Ami laughed again, then suddenly froze, catching sight of Kenshin. The knife came down off mark.

"Ah!"

"Ami-chan!"

"Ami!"

The two adults rushed towards her, Sachi getting to her first. Ami bit her lip as she rose her hand for the two to inspect.

"A small cut," Sachi sighed, relieved. Ami didn't say anything, lips tight as she squeezed her injured finger. Kenshin gently turned her towards him, putting his hands over hers.

"It'll keep bleeding, if you squeeze so hard," he said gently. She looked up at him with shaky eyes, not paying attention as Sachi bound her finger.

"Y-You aren't..." Her voice trailed off. She gazed at him, letting all the emotions show on her face. She let out a shaky sigh.

"Gomen..." she said.

"For what? It has already been forgotten," said Kenshin, tucking a stray hair behind her ear as she winced; Sachi had tied the knot of the make shift-bandage. 

__

Oh Kenshin...

It feels...it seems like you'll never get angry with me...

Ami broke into a happy smile, Kenshin returning it. 

"Sachi-san says dinner will be ready soon," she said in an almost confiding tone.

Sachi rose and nodded at them, confirming her words. She glanced around, then helped usher Ami to her feet; they had all been kneeling, fussing over her.

"Everything is fine. You don't have to help anymore, Ami-chan. Why don't you and Himura-san go up to your room and wait?"

Ami looked quickly at Kenshin before nodding. Ami removed her cooking atire, bowing her thanks to Sachi. They exited the kitchens, slowly walking up the stairs silently. As they entered their room, Ami was suddenly reminded of something. 

"Kenshin?"

"Yes?"

"M...May I see your sword?"

Kenshin blinked, a little startled. He gave a short nod, however, looking over to the direction of the wall where the sword was propped on. Ami walked over to it and gingerly picked it up as if it were a priceless artifact. Continually glancing up at Kenshin to see whether or not he minded, she grasped the hilt firmly and slowly pulled. The lamp light flickered off of the blade, the shiny metal reflecting. 

__

The blade was dull...

Ami shifted the sword to her left hand, her injured hand, and gently felt the edge with her right pointer finger. It was sharp.

"Ah?" 

Kenshin came over, hearing her small confused cry. As he stood up over her, she looked up, eyes troubled.

"Demo...I thought it was dull."

"Oro? Ah, wrong side, Ami-chan," he smiled, the endearment slipping in again. As he reached down to flip the sword around, dull side facing her, she turned pink, partly from embaressment, partly from the endearment, which she felt rather comforted by.

She ran her finger once more against the new side, smiling as she felt it's dullness.

"And you'll only attack with this side, won't you?"

"Yes."

The small cut on her left finger throbbed, reminding her how _sharp _the kitchen knife had been. Ami smiled slightly as she ran her fingers against the side, fully appreciating it's dullness.

"You didn't make this yourself...?" she inquired, feeling a little dumb about her knowledge of swords.

"No...it was forged for me....," Kenshin said slowly, seeming to be inveloped by memories. He paused, trying to find a way to end it. ".....By a friend," he said finally. It wasn't exactly true, but that didn't matter.

"Souka," said Ami, though she really didn't.

"He was very skilled at forgery...there are not many of these swords lying around, these Sakabatou."

"Sakabatou," Ami repeated, a bit mystified. "Reverse blade swords?"

Kenshin nodded firmly. "They are not able to cut anything with the opposing side. They cannot kill."

Ami lowered her head, hair falling to cover her face as she smiled.

"I think I like this sword very much."

Kenshin laughed, and they smiled at each other.

~*~

A servant let them know dinner was ready a few minutes later. Kenshin nodded and looked back at Ami, who was still sitting against the wall, holding his sword. She got up and laid it carefully against the wall, then sighed, staring at her hair tie.

Kenshin smiled softly. "It's fine."

"Hmm," said Ami, trailing off. She set the hair tie onto a drawer and hurried up to him, and then they made their way back down the stairs. At the bottom, they could see Domon waiting for them.

"Hello there, friends!" he cried happily. "I hope you're up to a big dinner. Sachi made quite a lot."

At the sight of Domon, Ami started to giggle, stiffling it quickly. Kenshin glanced at her.

"Oro?"

"Ah," said Ami, still smiling. "I was just remembering what Sachi told me."

Kenshin looked at her curiously as they walked down, then prodded her gently in the shoulder, playfully.

"Is that so?"

"Hai. Sachi-san told me that she and Domon-san first met because Sachi-san had helped him stop a thief, who had just robbed him," she said, dropping her voice slightly so Domon would not hear. She smiled fondly. "Just like how we met him! That's why Sachi-san gets annoyed so much."

Kenshin laughed, both quieting down as they reached the bottom of the stairs. Domon smiled cheerfully and quickly ushered them to the table, where Sachi and a few other servants were setting out the dishes. Their guests stared wide eyed at all of the food.

"My...we'll have to eat a lot to finish this, Ami-chan," Kenshin whispered softly into her ear. Ami nodded, then reached up to take Kenshin's hand, leading him to the table. She felt more at peace then ever, holding his hand. As her gaze flickered around the different dishes, she reluctantly let go of Kenshin's hand and said to Sachi, in an apologetic tone, "Gomen, I didn't stay to help very long, did I?"

Sachi waved it off, cheerful as ever. "Oh, you did help very much! Besides, you got hurt."

"It's small!" Ami protested, waggling her bandaged finger in the air. Sachi laughed.

Kenshin smiled inwardly. Sachi wasn't showing any sign of the deep talk they had had earlier. _She's very good at hiding things..._

So are you, he replied to himself. Kenshin sighed a bit, taking the time to think as the Kamashi's fussed over Ami; Domon was a bit alarmed that she had cut herself.

"Really? Sachi-"

"I had asked her to help in the kitchens," Sachi said, some guilt pouring onto her face. "I hadn't really-..I didn't-"

"It's all right, it wasn't your fault-" Ami butted in, anxious. "I was just startled-"

__

Because she saw me. It was my fault. 

Ami didn't finish the sentence, as if sensing Kenshin's part in the accident might make him guilty. She glanced at him. Kenshin's gaze was averted to another direction, staring almost...innocently. Kenshin blinked, and turned back to Ami, as if just noticing her stare.

Ami blinked, sweatdropping a little. 

"_Pah_," she mouthed at him. _That doesn't fool me, _her expression plainly said, smiling, playfully. Kenshin let out a small chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck in surrender. 

Ami smiled at him, then turned back to the still argueing couple. Sachi finally let out a huge exasperated sigh, waving off Domon's words impatiently.

"It's worked out, anata. Please, our guests must be starving, and the food's-"

"Getting cold!" Domon cried, clapping his hands again. "Eat everyone, come- ITAI!"

Sachi withdrew her hand, looking slightly peeved. "Please stop-"

"Interrupting you?" Domon asked, and was thus rewarded with another whack.

"Yes. Now, come on, let's eat please..."

Domon took his seat, Sachi sitting down at his left. Kenshin was about to make his way to the opposite side of the table with Ami when he noticed the quick wistful look Sachi flashed towards her.

"Let's set next to Sachi-dono," Kenshin muttered quietly. Ami looked up at him curiously, but did as he said, plopping down at Sachi's left. Sachi brightened and immidietly pointed out the various foods ("See there! Those are the sweet potato!") and piled various dishes onto Ami's plate. Kenshin smiled as Ami tried vainly to protest, a bit thankfull Sachi's attention was full. He didn't think he'd be able to eat so much. 

But after stocking up Ami's plate quite fully and noticing the small amounts of food Kenshin took, Sachi loaded his as well. Both stared at their plates, then slowly took up their chopsticks, hoping they'd be able to finish. The food was delicious, however, so the task didn't seem as menacing as before.

"Could....mmf," Ami paused, trying to swallow. "C-could I have some more potato...?" 

Sachi let out a sort of delighted yell. 

"You like it? I'm so glad; Domon hates it, so I don't make it as much anymore-"

Domon choked a bit on his beef, swiveling around to look at Sachi with an apologetic smile.

"I'm sorry, love, but I never said I _hated _it-"

"Oh, it's fine, it's fine," Sachi said lightly, loading more sweet potato onto Ami's plate. Both Ami and Kenshin exchanged glances; Sachi was so hard to predict! Domon disliked her favorite dish _and _interrupted her, but she hadn't done a thing.

"So is it good?" Sachi asked, after a while.

"Delicious," Kenshin managed to say, swallowing. Ami didn't bother to speak, nodding happily instead.

Sachi smiled widely as her guests ate. 

~*~

"Sake!"

"SAKE!"

"Oro."

"Um...."

Ami watched gingerly as Domon poured the sake into rather _large_ cups, passing it around the grown ups. Kenshin stared at the cup dubiously, thanking Domon absentmindedly. 

__

He's not really going to drink **all** of that, Ami thought, alarmed. Somehow...it just unnerved her, the thought of Kenshin drinking. She was sure her eyes popped out as Kenshin took a well sized sip.

"Ergh," she whimpered, looking around.

"Hm? You want some too?" asked Domon, face slightly red and his expression cheerier then normal. Now she was absoloutely **sure **her eyes were popping out. She was spared answering by the fierce looks Kenshin and Sachi gave him.

"She's a child, Domon!"

"I do not think she should drink sake, de gozaru."

"Ah, I know, I know, joking!" Domon laughed, waving his cup in the air, spilling a bit onto the table, almost hitting Ami's sleeve. Seriously, her eyes must have been the size of saucers now. 

She stood up from the table, bowing and smiling, concealing her increasing nervousness.

"I'm done. I will let you all talk, ne?"

"Oh, don't go," said Sachi worriedly, quite sober. "It's all right."

Ami shook her head, almost wildly as she watched Kenshin take another sip.

"It's fine, I'm full, and sort of sleepy too-" she babbled. Sachi's expression looked agitated, but she gave a small nod, and Ami walked quickly to the stairs. 

Once Ami was out of earshot, Sachi hit Domon on the head once more. "You scared her away!"

~*~

After changing into the sleeping yukata that had been supplied in the closets, Ami proceeded to half heartedly bonk her head against the wall. After a while, she decided bonking her head against the bed was much better.

"Mmmmmm....." the soft muffled moan had a sort of desperate tone to it. Bonking her head a last time, she flopped onto the bed. She wondered what the adults were doing. Or, more likely, what Kenshin was doing.

An image filled into her mind: Kenshin drunk, stumbling into the room. 

At this, Ami gave a little shriek, punching herself. _Kenshin? Kenshin couldn't possibly... _After half an hour of these kinds of images, the door finally did open. She stayed still, listening to his breathing, when Kenshin finally whispered softly, "Ami-chan?"

At this, she slowly got up, turning to face him. He looked exactly the same. His face wasn't even red; more of a light pink, thought it _was _sort of hard to tell in the dark room. Ami let out a small yelp and jumped off the bed, crossing over quickly to stand in front of him. He wasn't even wobbling. She resisted the urge to hug him, instead, putting on a soft smile.

"You're all done?"

"Hai."

He stood there, almost nervously. What was this? Her ki had a strange feeling to it. 

__

Relief, he realized later, as he changed into his yukata, Ami already in bed. _From what? _

He shook his head lightly, climbing into the Western style bed, trying to adjust to the strange feeling. 

"Good night."

Kenshin turned to look at her. Ami was looking at him now, smiling a bit. 

"Sleep well," he replied, still a bit confused about her strange behavior earlier. But he smiled, watching her turn to face ceiling, slowly closing her eyes.

Perhaps Ami would've been pleased to know; Kenshin's last thoughts before he drifted off to sleep were about her...

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Author's Notes:

Phew. -_-' Finally this is done. I had a bit of trouble with this one; how Ami should react seeing Kenshin after she had walked out, how Sachi should act... __ Indeed, Sachi is giving me the most trouble. She is a very cheery person, but I gave her more depth and reason to be around Ami because of her "problem" mentioned in the last chapter. But now I'm not sure whether to keep her cheery around Ami, or nervous! I guess it'll alternate....

Oh yeah, after I was finished doublechecking the chapter, I noticed the last line might be considered hentai. 0_o' Noooo... It's just, Ami loves Kenshin, and that Kenshin would spend time thinking about her would make her feel special, you know? And since she doesn't feel highly about herself and thinks Kenshin deserves better (like shown in last chapter), the fact that someone like _him _would take his free time wondering about little ol' her would make her feel especially loved. Okeydokey??

Lots of new people have reviewed. ^_^ That was a nice surprise. *looks around* Haruko hasn't shown up tho... 0_o'

****

Replies (I decided to make this shorter; I'm feeling tired today. ^^):

****

AnimeAmba: Oosh! You're psychic!That will be one of the debates in Kenshin's head, later on. ^^ But don't worry... And really, all this praise is making me blush. Really, you're too kind. ^^' 

EEevee: Yeah. You should've seen me when I first moved and went to this new school; all the kids were talking about stuff I had no idea about, and we were the same age. For instance, my friend's cousin was a model (not famous, just a little one) and she showed me her webpage where they had all the..."stats". And there was one stat that said "Bust" and I was thoroughly confused.

Me: Bust?

Friend: Yeah, it's gross. But they put it up anyway.

Me: ????? 

****

To All of the New Reviewers: Thanks so much for checking this fic out and reviewing. I'm glad most people seem to like, or at least be okay with, Ami. She is pretty much the second main charac. in this fic, anyway. ^^ Hope you stick around.


	10. Conversations & Decisions

**Disclaimer: Kenshin...I need to own you!

Kenshin: Oro???

Me: Heh, that didn't sound right, huh? *sigh* I do not own Rurouni Kenshin, or Kenshin himself...but you know?? This is almost as good...** 

****

**Conversations & Decisions**

~*~

_Hiro was standing there, watching her._

_"Look!"_

_Ami hopped on one foot, spinning around rapidly at the same time. The trees blurred and everything was spinning. After spinning for awhile, she halted, stumbling around, laughing._

_"Getting dizzy is so fun," she said, trying to stand still. She tried to latch her gaze onto Hiro. "Isn't it? Right?"_

_She looked to his face, but it was the same serious expression as ever. It had never bothered her until now, but suddenly her heart felt broken. She tried to walk towards him, but everything just seemed so wobbly..._

_Kenshin wouldn't do that!_

_The cool, icy blue eyes watched her calmly._

_Where were the violet ones?_

_"Where's Kenshin," she yelled anxiously. She stumbled towards Hiro, but he seemed to be getting farther away, and everything was rocking..._

_"Kenshin!"_

_Where were the violet eyes that laughed with her?_

_Even though Hiro was so far away, she could see his eyes clearly. Now they looked grey, like the clouds when it was about to storm._

_Ami closed her eyes and mustered up her strength, dashing forward.  It seemed she ran for a long time, until she finally crashed into him._

_"Hiro-" Ami started, opening her eyes, but broke off as she saw Kenshin above her, smiling, red locks being combed by the wind._

_"Kenshin," said Ami nervously, wanting to look around but not daring to take her eyes off him, in case he might disappear. "Kenshin, where's Hiro?"_

_"I don't know, Ami-chan," he said clearly._

_His arms circled around her, and Ami tried to relax, though her mind was whirling. _

_"Where's Hiro," she whispered. Kenshin hugged her tighter in reply._

_She could vaguely feel Hiro's eyes on her back. And then Ami suddenly knew, that she and Kenshin were together, but Hiro wouldn't ever be able to be included in their bonds._

_He was outside._

_"Hiro," she tried to yell, but when the cry came from her, the name she yelled was of a different person's._

_.........._

_......._

_..._

_"Kenshin!"_

~*~

Kenshin was gone.

Ami awoke facing his empty bed. She lay there, blinking wearily, as if in a stupor. "Ken...shin," she whispered to herself. And then a great ache built up inside her, followed by panic. "Hiro!"

She had been dreaming, she knew. She couldn't remember what had happened, but she knew in the dream that something had happened to cause a great guiltiness and sadness to well up inside her. Now she had an idea. Before, she had always said Hiro's name, hadn't she? But now...

Kenshin was replacing Hiro.

"K-" she started again, clutching her blankets hard. "Hiro...."

_Why? Why is this happening? Oh Hiro, I've betrayed you, haven't I? I'm so sorry, please, oh please forgive me for being so weak..._

Who was to blame? Herself.

_Not Kenshin, never Kenshin_, she thought tearfully to herself, closing her eyes hard, blocking out everything but herself and her thoughts.

A small part of her wanted to blame him for doing this to her. She had always loved Hiro, never been bothered by him. Her acknowledgment of why she acted more shy around Kenshin than Hiro was proving to herself that if she had never met anyone like Kenshin, Hiro would have always been enough. But she couldn't blame Kenshin. Yes, it's her fault, her's alone, it's not Kenshin's fault that he is so wonderful and kind...

And that Hiro was so silent...

_No!_ thought Ami, almost panicked-like. _Stop thinking like that! Stop comparing them!_

_My brother..._

"Gomen nasai, Hiro," she whispered softly. She clenched her fists, digging her nails into her palm, to punish herself. After a while she stopped, bringing her palms to her face, staring at the small crescent marks on her palm. _Maybe I should do it till it bleeds,_ Ami thought sadly. _Would that be okay, Hiro?_

She slowly curled her hand into a fist again, applying pressure. But she didn't make it bleed.

_Too weak,_ she knew. _I'm too weak. Too afraid of pain._

Her fists unclenched.

~*~

Ami changed and stepped out of the room, seeing no one but the servants in the hallways. 

"Excuse me," she said hesitantly, tugging lightly on a servant's sleeve to get her attention. "Do you know where Sachi-san or Kenshin are?"

"The Mistress and Himura-san are in the kitchens, I believe," said the servant, giving a small bow with her head. 

"Oh, thank you," Ami said, bowing back uncertainly, then turning to run down the stairs. The servant smiled after her. 

~*~

Kenshin and Sachi were exchanging cooking tips.

It was too strange to believe, Ami thought, as she stood in the doorway, watching them bustle around. She smiled, a giggle threatening to burst from her as she watched them work. Kenshin's sleeves were rolled up, and he was even wearing an apron, telling Sachi how much salt he usually put into soups. Seeing Kenshin like this...was sort of hard to explain...it looked _cute._

_Not cute!_ Ami thought quickly afterwards, clamping a hand over her mouth reflexively. What kind of man would want to be called cute? It was more like an insult to Kenshin. _Umm...funny? _she tried. _Interesting?_

"Ah, Ami-chan," said Kenshin cheerfully, turning to her. Ami took the hand away from her face and smiled shyly at him.

"Ohayou," she said to him. Ami saw Sachi turn towards her. "Ohayou Sachi-san," she added.

"Ohayou, Ami-chan," Sachi said warmly. "You had a good sleep, I presume?"

"She must have, because she was sleeping very peacefully when I left," said Kenshin.

"Yes," nodded Ami. She stood in the middle of the kitchen uncertainly, then asked, "Do you want help?"

"We're almost done. Why don't you just wait at the table?"

Ami nodded at Sachi's suggestion, then exited the room, heading for the dining table they had used last night. Domon was sitting there.

"Hello, hello!" beamed Domon. "Sachi's almost done?"

Domon folded up the newspaper he had been reading and clapped his hands lightly at Ami's nod.

"Excellent. You had a good sleep?"

Another nod.

"Good, good!" And then...

WHACK!

"You don't need to repeat yourself," said Sachi sourly. "I'm sure Ami's hearing is fine."

"All right, all right-"

"Domon..." Sachi weedled, setting the soup down, servants helping her.

"Gomen, Koishii," he said, in a truly apologetic tone. Sachi looked a bit sorry for being so angry, and patted him on the shoulder as she passed him, to take a seat.

Ami watched this all with a soft smile, which grew wider as Kenshin sat down next to her.

"You'll have to tell us whether the soup is good or not," he said, smiling at her. "We need good critics, otherwise we'll never improve, isn't that so?"

"Hai!" she beamed. "But you know...it'll definately taste good."

"Really," said Kenshin, smiling.

"Because it's made by you," Ami said clearly, unabashed. Kenshin oro'ed softly. 

_Because it's made by you-_

A small smile graced his lips, as he slowly spooned some soup into a bowl for Ami.

~*~

A sudden movement from the trees; blackbirds suddenly cried out loudly and flew up noisily, hastening to another safe haven. Ami looked up at them from the base of the tree, smiling a little wistfully.

"Chiyaaaa," she cried softly to them, a feeble imitation of their cries. "Chyaaa!"

She could see them across the grass, swooping around the branches of the new tree. She smiled after them, feeling a little sorry for disturbing them. All she had wanted was to get close to watch them...

However, now the tree was all her's. 

She plopped down against the roots, choosing a spot that was covered with plants and not too dirty. She was still wearing a loaned kimono, so she didn't want to get it too soiled. She unsheathed her carving knife, which she had gotten from her bag earlier, and pulled a selective piece of wood towards her, studying it. She held it in front of her, closing one eye, trying to decide where to start.

Choosing a spot, she began to whittle the outside. She was planning to make another slingshot. As she whittled, half of her brain focused on the task, the other wandering, replaying choice memories.

_Sachi-san showed me the garden today._

She paused, moving her thumb lower, away from the nearing blade.

_I told her about my hobby. She said I could use anything I find here, to make things._

More birds were chirping, and the sun was shining through the trees in such a beautiful way...

_Anything at all here. She's very kind._

At this, she paused, leaning back against the base of the tree, letting her hands fall to the ground, knife in one hand, wood in the other.

_We don't know whether we're leaving today, Kenshin and I. I know it's rude to intrude...but I'm hoping...we can stay longer._

She stared into space, the slight breeze weaving her hair gently. It was a really beautiful day...

_I want to make something for Sachi-san. A gift. Of course, it'll be for both of them. Domon and Sachi._

It was cool, almost too warm for late winter...Spring must be sooner than she thought.

_Kenshin seems happy here...doesn't he want to stay?_

Images of Kenshin smiling since their arrival flashed through her mind like a slide show.

_What is he looking for?_

_Nothing._

_Then surely, we can relax a little while..._

Ami snorted softly at this.

_Baka. We've only been traveling for a few days, that's nothing to relax from._

_Well, Kenshin's been wandering for a long time. He could use rest._

She knew she was just making up excuses for herself, and tried not to care. She started to stroke a clump of grass absentmindedly, taking care not to pull it out completely.

_How long has he been traveling? He doesn't tell me..._

_Hiro never told me anything either._

"Oh, stop," she mumbled, reaching to pinch herself slightly. 

....

......

...

_I've reached another decision, Kenshin._

_I can think about you all day, but night is for Hiro._

_That way, it'll be half even! _

In part of her mind, Ami knew her conclusion was strange and wouldn't solve anything, and that even though she knew this, she had still made Kenshin as "day", because day seemed longer to her, so she could think of Kenshin more, because truthfully, that was whom she was fixtated upon. Ami was still a child in some ways, and so, her childish reasoning ought to be pardoned.

~*~

_...I was really bold today, wasn't I, Kenshin?_

_But the soup did taste good. I told you so, didn't I._

_But I said that to you, because right now it's day._

_...And Hiro isn't here._

_I really wonder where he is, Kenshin. He ain't dead._

She pulled up the clump of grass, staring at it sourly, remembering her earlier thoughts not to pull it out. She sighed and threw it away, pursing her lips.

_Course he ain't dead,_ she scowled, using incorrect grammar to show her frustration. 

_If you knew him, you'd know that he can't die. It's impossible._

_Just like I can't be struck by a bolt of lightning right now. _

At this, she craned her neck up to look at the sky. Still blue. She looked back down.

_Someday...maybe we'll find each other. Actually, I'm not so sure of that as much as I am of him being alive. Which is of course, true. _

_It's sad, Kenshin._

_Because I think..._

_If you and Hiro met..._

_Maybe you wouldn't get along so well._

She seized the wood and knife again, noticing the small cut on her finger that she had left unbandaged.__

_He's taught me lots of things, Hiro, _she said silently, now talking to him, ignoring her earlier resolution.__

_I'm not sure what...but I really feel good around him._

_It's like he taught me to be happy. But that's too strange, isn't it, Hiro?_

_...._

_I like to see him smile. He's really beautiful that way._

Images of Kenshin flooding her mind once more...__

_I hope...I wish he'd smile like that forever. Because that would mean that he's really happy. And I think he deserves to be happy forever._

_For you, Hiro..._

_I'm not sure what to wish._

_Wishing you happiness, seems strange..._

_I'm sorry. I don't know why._

_But for you, it seems more realistic to wish you peace, so that you'd never be bothered._

_Would you like that, Hiro?_

_Maybe you're not being bothered now._

_Is that why you haven't found me yet, Hiro?_

_Maybe you're really happy...peaceful..where you are now._

_Is that why you're staying where you are now?_

_Maybe you've fallen in love. Excuse me, Hiro, but I couldn't help but laugh. It seems so funny to imagine you like that, Hiro._

_Have you ever done that?_

_If I see you again, would you mind me asking?_

_I'll trade you a secret for a secret._

_How is that?_

_~*~_

_Do you love anyone, Hiro?_

_And you'll probably just stare at me. Maybe you'll think I'm crazy. Is that what you're thinking in there??_

_~I smile when I think of you thinking I'm crazy. Isn't that strange?~_

_Did you ever love anyone, Hiro?_

_A girl?_

_Maybe now you'd nod your head, or just keep staring._

_If you did keep staring, I'd say..._

_Would you tell me who you've fallen in love with if I told you who I fell in love with?_

_And then you'd give me a deeper stare, because even though you never said it, I know sometimes you can get really protective._

_He's really wonderful, Hiro, I'd say, trying to get that look off of your face._

_But then maybe you'd still keep looking at me that way._

_But Hiro!_

_Are you listening, Hiro?_

_Hiro?_

_I think..._

_....I'm not sure..how to describe it...I mean..._

_Well, what is love, anyway? Really?_

_Do you know, Hiro?_

_Please tell me._

_...._

_It's too stupid._

_I mean, maybe I'm mistaken. Maybe the weird feeling I get whenever he's around is some other feeling...because when he is there, I feel like I should impress him..._

_I mean, he's so brilliant...and I'm just me. _

_I don't want him to know about this....it might be strange for him._

_Like I said...I'm just me._

_So don't tell!_

_And you'll nod..._

_...And I'll start again..._

_...to try and explain..._

_But Hiro! I don't even **know**! You have to tell me!_

_~All the warm smiles he's ever sent me...~_

_~When he calls me "chan", I feel indescribably pleased...~_

_It's like he taught me to be happy._

_A different happy from before._

_So Hiro? What **is this?**_

~*~

"Kenshin...," says Ami as he draws near. She smiles up at him, Kenshin smiling too.

"You're making something, Ami?"

"Hai. Slingshot."

She holds it up. It's barely taking shape.

"I see. Do you mind if I sit down?"

"Of course not!" she scoots a bit towards the side, though there is no need.

His eyes sweep from her to the small scattered pieces of wood at the ground around her.

"You've been busy," he states, smiling at her. She smiles back, then looks to the ground in front of her.

They sit there for a while in silence, enjoying the day while wondering what the other was thinking at the same time. Finally, Ami glances up at him curiously, and Kenshin adopts a light Rurouni smile.

"I was wondering, if you wanted to stay here another day."

She watched his face for a moment, looking slightly woeful. She glanced down to the wood in her lap, thinking. Kenshin patiently waited. 

"You....you don't like it here?"

"It's peaceful," Kenshin admitted. 

"You want to go somewhere?"

"Not particularly," said Kenshin, feeling foolish. Wasn't he the one who asked the question?

"I wouldn't mind staying...." Ami said quietly. "But if you feel any urge to leave, I'll gladly come too."

"Leaving it up to me, then," Kenshin sighed. And then a wistful smile passed over his features. A sad smile. Ami noticed it immidietly, and tried to contain her curiosity. But Kenshin seemed to be able to tell. He turned to her, giving her a look that encouraged her to speak.

"What is it?" Ami asked tentatively. Kenshin smiled, and put a hand on her head.

"That just then...reminded me of another time, when I was making another decision with someone. An important decision. I tried to let that someone make the decision, but she turned it to me instead, just like how you did just now."

Ami's face turned a light pink, feeling Kenshin's hand on top of her head, and tried to process Kenshin's words.

_She?_

_Who? What's her name_, Ami wanted to ask, but something in Kenshin's eyes helped her resolve not to inquire any further.

"Souka," she chirped instead, giving him a playful smile.

"So you made the decision. What do you decide now?"

"Hmph," sighed Kenshin, leaning back against the tree, running a hand through his hair with his other hand.

"Difficult," he said, not quite making it a statement or a question.

_Not really...._

"I feel sorry for you," said Ami, closing her eyes and putting on a look of indifference, tilting her head slightly away from him. "So let's shift the decision to what Sachi-san and Domon-san say about the idea of us leaving."

She smiled up at him, Kenshin giving a chuckle. "You're tricky."

"Not really...."

"Not really," Kenshin repeated. He stroked her head a last time then stood up.

She watched him as he brushed off his hakama and wondered more about the small part of his history he had just revealed to her.

_What decision? Who is she? What was she to you?_

_Don't you know you can tell me anything, Kenshin?_

_I'd never breathe a word._

It reminded her of something. Then, Kenshin's voice echoed in her mind.

_"It's all right. You can ask me anything." _

He said that....right before she asked if she could stay with him. Seemed so long ago...

But in other ways, not so long. If Ami had been with Kenshin long, wouldn't she have been able to predict what he wanted?

Now she was alone, under the tree. Alone with her churning thoughts, wood, and knife.

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

Author's Notes:

I'm so tired....sorry this took so long to put up! I just couldn't end it! When I tried to write up an event that could end the chapter, it just turned into something more, making it longer, and etc. ~_~'

Lot's of revising, too. Sorta unsatisfied with it. But, nothing new has been happening, so I want to post it just to get some reviews so I'll have _something_ nice to read. ^^'

Oh yeah, and I was also wondering, does the length ever bother anyone? At all? Like, is it too long? Because now I have installed Microsoft Word on my laptop (I've been accessing it elsewhere) I see that this one chapter is….about 11 pages long. 0_o'' So let me know!

(If the review replies scare you, it's because I'm bored, people. Deadly bored! So I write weird things so I won't be bored anymore!! ^^ *hops away*)

**Replies:**

**Haruko:** ?? Eh? Nu-uh! Nope! Too bad for Ami-chan! ^^' I mean, who wouldn't want to get paired up with Kenshin?...ergh...I'll shut up now. ^^' If it_ was KXA, would it scare you? :P_

**EEevee: ***cheers* I'm glad I seem to succeed at making all of my made up characters likeable. ^_^ If they were all annoying...heh. How sad that would be. I barely help out in the kitchen. 0_o'' Cuz I have "better" things to do. (Going on the computer. -_-'). When I do, I just help make jiao zi (potstickers).

**baka: **Thank you for the lovely display of emoticons!!! I liked looking at them...a girl who giggles and points at a row of emoticons...is something wrong with me or what?? lol

**Rach-Chan: **Hi-hi! Update is coming right at ya! In fact, it's so close, it hit your computer. 0_o'' Whoops.

**AnimeAmba:** I liked writing that part. It's interesting...I just write and then suddenly this random thing comes out, and that random thing was Ami getting startled by Kenshin and getting a cut! I liked how it turned out. ^_^' Yeah, I get scared when I think of Kenshin drinking...and he actually _did, in his Battousai days. Yikes._

Me: ACK! Drinking is bad for you! You could crash! *grabs his sake cup and smashes it*

Kenshin: ?!?!?

Me: No drink & drive!!

Kenshin: ?!?!?!

**MissBehavin:** Hi....^^' Cool to see you here...I really love your Meiji Journal fic, it's really ingenious, the idea. And... *pumps fist* Another score for Ami-chan! I'm so glad you like her. Yes. Evil People. They're so very...evil. 0_0 My Evil People...are actually EvilThings. *Boots homework into trash* @_@ Do I make sense? heh.

**the sacred night: **Yes, worshipping is a very good word to describe how she feels about him. ^^' Well, Ami _sort_ of knew it was reversed, cause the time when Kenshin saved her she saw that it was dull, but she only just remembered after she got cut. And she never really examined it, so... :P


	11. A Gift Laden Farewell

Disclaimer: I own 3 out of 4! Wooh! I'll trade ownership of Sachi and Domon to Watsuki-san for Kenshin and Tomoe though…how bout it? Huh? Huh? HUH?? Watsuki!! Answer me!

Gift-Laden Farewell 

_"That just then...reminded me of another time, when I was making another decision with someone. An important decision. I tried to let that someone make the decision, but she turned it to me instead, just like how you did just now."___

_Souka_, Ami had said. But that was a lie. 

She sat alone under the tree, whittling, only half concentrated on her task. _I don't understand at all._

~*~

Later that afternoon, it had begun to rain. Kenshin was currently out with Domon, for Domon had invited him along to view his mining site. Though Ami had wanted to come along (she hated being separated from Kenshin), she decided to stay with Sachi and practice her culinary skills in the kitchen. Perhaps someday, she could prepare a meal for Kenshin.

It was that fantasy that made Ami want to stay the most. She wanted to find out what kind of dishes Kenshin liked, and maybe when the opportunity arose, she would prepare that dish for him. Oh, how his eyes might shine when she brought him the plate, hot from just being cooked. He would taste some while she looked away modestly (it wasn't polite to stare while someone ate, after all) and then he'd smile at her and tell her it was the best meal he'd ever tasted. And Ami would blush with pleasure and tell him that she'd be delighted to cook for him for the rest of his life. Because once he saw how useful she was, perhaps she _would_ be with him for the rest of his life…and that was a very long time, to her.

So Ami and Sachi worked in the kitchens, Sachi giving her instructions and telling her the techniques she usually used. Ami paid attention with all of her heart and soul, and she was a fast learner.

"Tomorrow, perhaps you could cook some soup all by yourself!" Sachi said appraisingly, and after the moment's glory faded away, Ami recalled the conversation she and Kenshin had had. Perhaps Kenshin was informing Domon about whether or not they would leave today at this moment, but that didn't mean she couldn't tell Sachi.

"Sachi-san…?" she asked.

"Yes, dear?"

Ami's cheeks tinged pink, and she continued on a bit more nervously.

"Kenshin and I…it's already been a day…we were wondering, whether we should leave today…?"

Sachi dropped the ladle she was holding, and as it clattered noisily onto the tabletop, Ami jumped. Sachi was staring at her with a strange look, and Ami felt a sinking feeling enter her chest as she saw that Sachi's hand was trembling.

"You want to leave?" she repeated, and then her gaze seemed to turn to the air above Ami's head. "You want to go."

"Aaah?" Ami cried out, feeling sick and confused at the same time. "No, no, Sachi-san, I mean, we'd go if you wanted us too, but if you want us to stay we'll stay too-" she babbled.

But Sachi was just staring into space dimly, face gray, and suddenly Ami was reminded of Takaru Konure. The old woman who had befriended and taken care of her… what would her younger self have done? Then Ami knew; she set down the chopping knife, and walking quickly as to not lose her nerve, put her arms around Sachi and hugged her.

She heard the older woman give a small gasp of surprise, and at first she stayed still, making Ami feel strangely foolish, until she responded and completed the embrace.

"Sachi-san," Ami started, but halted as Sachi made small noises to cut her off.

"Forgive me," Sachi said wistfully, and Ami could feel her shaking her head. "I didn't mean to frighten you-"

"I wasn't frightened," Ami lied.

"Ha," Sachi said dryly, sighing. "But I…you need to leave soon?"

Ami kept silent for a while longer, thinking. "…I'm not sure. But Kenshin and I don't want to stay longer than necessary. That's what he meant, anyway."

Sachi hugged her tightly, and Ami froze as she felt a tear drop onto her head. "Oh, Ami-chan…it's selfish of me, I know, but _please_ stay for a few more days…till the week is over, at least. Three more days!" She was trembling slightly. "You haven't been here long at all…I'd be honored if you could stay for three more days…"

"Kenshin and I would be too," she whispered, feeling sick and helpless at Sachi crying. "But maybe he and Domon-san have already worked it out. I told Kenshin to see…" she trailed off. 

It scared her that Sachi had been crying (a grown woman!) but Ami hadn't been held in such a loving embrace ever since she left home… _Kenshin…_ the thought was quick and fleeting. It did not matter if she would ever be held so lovingly by him; being in his company was enough. Sachi sniffed, and stumbled away from her. 

"Water's boiling," she said thickly, patting Ami on the head then motioning her to go back to preparing the ingredients. "You were doing fine, go on now."  

Ami did as she was told, and by the end of the hour, she produced a soup that was eager to be tasted.

~*~

When Kenshin and Domon came through the front door, Ami and the servants were there to greet them. He politely refused the servant's advances to mop him up (they had been caught in the rain) but didn't have the heart to refuse Ami, who patted his shoulders gingerly with a dry cloth and handed it to him to wipe his face.

"I should've taken your umbrella," Kenshin smiled to her, and Ami blushed with pleasure. As Domon went off to find Sachi, a few servants flocking after him, Ami gently tugged on Kenshin's hand and led him to the side of the room farthest from the kitchens. Kenshin stared at her curiously, knowing she had something to tell him. He waited patiently as she stood there nervously in front of him, hands clasped in front of her.

"I…I missed you," she started off, turning pink at her daring and shame. And a light seemed to go on in her head, and she shook her head furiously. "I mean, no, no, um, was Domon-san's mining site interesting?"

Kenshin was touched at her first statement, but seeing her embarrassment, ignored it. "Yes, it was very interesting. Most of the workers thought of him very popularly, it seemed. He pays them generously."

Ami smiled, trying to shrug off her abashment from earlier. "That seems like him." She took a breath, getting to the point. "Kenshin? Did you tell Domon-san about…whether we'd leave or not?"

"Oro." Kenshin put a hand to his head, smiling shamefully. "Ha, I haven't. I thought maybe I'd mention it at dinner."

"Oh, that's all right," Ami said softly. "I already told Sachi-san."

"Did you? What did she say?"

Ami kept quiet, and Kenshin furrowed his brows in concern. Then Ami looked up at him, eyes wide with uneasiness. "She cried on me," she stated, looking as confused as he was. "I'm not sure…when we leave, I'd miss her too, but she seemed really upset."

_Oh, Sachi-dono…_ Kenshin thought. _You love her too._ His eyes widened as he realized what he had just thought. He saw Ami eyeing him worriedly, but not saying anything out of respect for his privacy. Kenshin took the time gratefully to run his brain through. _Sachi-dono said to me yesterday at the garden about wanting to see whether or not she'd be a good mother…and now she has become attached to Ami-chan. To have Ami herself tell her that she was thinking of leaving…would have hurt her deeply, I see._

"…Kenshin?" Ami finally asked, in a meek voice. He cleared his throat, sighing a bit.

"Ah, Ami-chan, Sachi-dono just cares for you deeply, that she does. She is very fond of you." He didn't want to tell Ami about Sachi's disability. It was only between him and her.

"Souka," Ami lied again. _But she didn't have to be so anxious! There's something more to this, I'm sure…_

The two remained silent, until Ami, wanting to change topics, said softly, "I made a soup all on my own…"

"It'll taste wonderful, I'm sure," he said warmly.

Ami's cooking fantasy came to mind again, and she blushed, a grin spreading across her face. "Thank you."

Kenshin nodded at her, then looked to the left. Ami turned to face the same direction, and the servant that had been waiting for them to finish speaking came up to them, head bowed politely. 

"Dinner is ready," she informed, and two thanked her and made their way towards the table.

~*~

The next three days passed too quickly, for Sachi. Goodness, she loved this child so much…but perhaps it was best. She couldn't possibly be a good mother, the way she had acted when Ami had merely asked her opinion on whether or not she and Kenshin could leave. But still…by the end of the second day, Sachi had retreated to her and Domon's room, crying. For in the morning, she would probably never see Ami again.

After half an hour or so of weeping, Domon came in, putting an arm comfortingly around her.

"You know, you getting robbed was the best thing that ever happened-" she hiccupped. Domon smiled sadly at his wife. It hurt him to see her like this. She was a strong woman; that was one of the reasons he fell for her. 

"We'll both miss Ami-chan and Kenshin-san," he said comfortingly. "And it's been wonderful having them here. It's better to have memories, then nothing. And it's not like it's good-bye forever. I'm sure if chance arises, Ami-chan would try and visit." 

Sachi's sob stopped in mid heave and she felt the familiar urge to snap at him. "You think she'll remember us?" But as she remembered how sincere Ami was, the chance didn't seem as slim as before. "…Well, perhaps she will. But not as long as she and Mr. Himura stay together."

"Sachi?" Domon asked, confused. "You dislike…?" 

"Oh, no," Sachi said, waving a hand at him. "It's just…that boy seems like he is searching for something. If he could, I bet he'd walk the whole world. And Ami-chan would follow him to the end."

"He'll take good care of her," Domon stated. "Surely the lives of rurouni are peaceful."

"Rurouni?"

"Kenshin-san's word for ronin."

Sachi smiled, amused. "Still a boy. What imagination."

~*~

On the late morning of the last day, Sachi gestured for Ami to follow her while Kenshin was outside talking with Domon. Ami followed her nervously and picked at her kimono; it was a lent one from the Kamashi's, and she wasn't sure when to return it. To her surprise Sachi led her to the room she and Kenshin had occupied. But her surprise quickly turned to disbelief as Sachi tried to force some items on her. 

"Here's a cooking pot," Sachi mumbled, stuffing it into a brand new pack. "Take it, take it, you need to practice your culinary skills," she said quickly as she saw Ami opening her mouth to protest. "And this ladle, here's a kerchief, I didn't get any chopsticks because I daresay you can make them yourself-"

"Sachi-san," Ami managed to croak out. "We can't possibly take-"

"Yes you are!" Sachi said strictly, folding some kimonos (rather expensive looking, to Ami's dismay) and stuffing it into the sack. "I can't let you leave without getting supplies-"

"But, all the supplies we may need are food," Ami tried to deter her. "So we don't need-"

"Oh, yes," Sachi said, waving a hand at her to come help. "We've got plenty of food for you as well."

Ami's mouth snapped shut and she glumly came over and packed. Sachi-san was too generous for her own good…They packed in silence, except for the occasional outbursts from Ami when she saw something very expensive, and the noise of Sachi ignoring her protests and replying stiffly that she ought to have those things.

By the time they were through, the pack was quite stuffed. Ami examined the puffed up bag thankfully. Oh, this would definitely make Sachi see that this was all way too much. Ami hefted the pack over her shoulder, getting ready for the heavy load, but to her immense surprise and slight dismay, it wasn't as heavy as she expected. But still, she had to make Sachi see!

"Sachi-san," she said in mock whine, "this will be pretty heavy in the long run…"

She felt a bit guilty as Sachi put a finger to her lip, worry showing onto her face. "Well," she said, sighing heavily, "I suppose it will be quite a burden to carry for hours."

"All day," Ami inputted. Sachi flinched at this. Ami-chan, walking all day with this heavy load on her shoulders? Goodness, no! 

"We'll take some things out," Sachi said grimly. She dumped the contents out and sorted through the things that were necessities and extras. But when she packed everything back in, it was still bulging. It took four sortings until the pack was finally a reasonable size. Sachi had taken out the cooking pot sorrowfully, but brightened up considerably after pressing many yen into Ami's protesting hands.

"Now you'll be able to buy a pot," she said smiling, as a red Ami stuffed the yen into her money pouch. She could see that Ami was still ready to protest, so she added slyly, "Then you'll be able to cook a wonderful meal for Mr. Himura. I'm sure he'll be so pleased, since he enjoyed your last soup so much!"

That did it, and Ami's mouth snapped shut and stayed that way. She was feeling dizzy from all of the loading and unloading, _and_ from Sachi's generosity. She said faintly, "Arigatou, Sachi-san," then came forward and embraced her. Sachi beamed, and forced away the tears threatening to flock to her eyes. She was _not_ going to make a scene like last time and scare poor Ami to death! Instead, she hugged her tightly, patted her on the head, and exited the room, searching for Domon.

And at exactly 2:54 PM, Kenshin and Ami departed.

~*~

The four squared off, Sachi and Domon side by side, Ami and Kenshin the same, facing each other.

"We'll never forget your kindness," Kenshin murmured, bowing especially low. He had been quite astounded as well at all the items Sachi had forced onto them…

"Remember, this was all because you stopped that thief! I'm thankful to you as well." Domon beamed, clapping Kenshin hard on the back so that he stumbled. Ami smiled at the scene, and bowed as well. 

She is very fond of you… 

Kenshin's voice rang out in her mind, reminding her, so Ami made sure to especially smile at Sachi. "Arigatou…" she said. "We'll never forget you."

"Come back and visit, if it's not too much trouble," Sachi said, smiling sadly at her. "Keep up your cooking!" She forced a lighthearted winked.

"Hai!" Ami grinned. Then she reached back into her sack and produced a slingshot and a windmill toy. Sachi gave a little gasp as she took the gifts, admiring the craftsmanship. "It's for…." Ami shifted uneasily, unsure if she was being rude or not. "Um…ano…if you have…nieces or nephews…or children…"

Both Sachi and Domon's breath caught slightly, but they quickly hid their surprise. Ami still noticed, however, and blurted, "Well, actually you can do whatever you like with it-" she broke off, unsure of what she was saying. The couple nodded, smiling at her with hidden grief. Kenshin laid a hand on Ami's shoulder to ease her nervousness.

"We should be going now," he said gently, and he pushed lightly at her and the two rurouni began to turn around and walk down the path. They had only taken a step when Kenshin halted, looking back to Sachi. "You would have been a wonderful mother, Sachi-dono," he said quietly. Ami glanced at him curiously, and then back to Sachi to see her expression.

Sachi nodded at Kenshin in thanks, then began to cry softly, brushing away her tears angrily, and she muttered, "Good-bye, good-bye" before she hid her face in her hands. Ami was about to make a noise of concern, but both Domon and Kenshin smiled reassuringly at her, and Ami whispered a farewell as she reluctantly turned away and walked with Kenshin away from the Kamashi home.

~*~

It had been an hour of walking, and Ami was already feeling slightly weary. _Living there for the past few days has spoiled me_, she thought, wrinkling her nose. She hefted the pack higher onto her shoulders and smiled to herself. _Well, maybe it's just because of this…_

Kenshin heard the noise of the pack being adjusted and looked back at her. "Do you want help with that?" Ami shook her head, still smiling. They had already evened out the objects between them so that their packs would have somewhat equal weight, and Kenshin was still offering to carry more. 

They continued on their way, and as Ami looked up to admire the setting sun, she suddenly remembered the many yen stuffed into her money pouch. They had already passed through the town, and she had missed her chance to buy a pot. She and Kenshin would be eating cold rice balls for dinner, supplied by Sachi.

_Well_, Ami smiled softly, staring down at the road, fond memories swirling inside her thoughts, _I can always wait till the next village. _

_I'll cook some soup for him…_

**~~=^_^=~~**

I just _had_ to use the kitty face for the end mark! Don't ask me why! 

I'm sorry this took a long time to get out…I had major writer's block. All the inspiration I had that had anything to do with Adoration took place waaay in the future. _'' Where angst is plenty.

Plus, I strangely had fun with the dialogue between Domon and Sachi when he was comforting her. Sachi's remark about Kenshin still being a boy with imagination tickled me. :P I thought it was interesting, because even though she thought she knew him enough to infer about him, they both (including Ami) really have no idea about his struggles…so that innocent remark about him was pretty off. They just have nooo idea…

^^ By the way, has anyone seen "Millenium Actress" by Satoshi Kon?? I rented it from Netflix, and it has such pretty animation. The story is really neat, too. Though it gets confusing after a while as it keeps jumping to different scenes, or movies/past lives, I should say. Well, whaddaya know, I actually don't have much to say! So time to jump to….

**Review Responses!**

**EEevee:** Not likeable? .'' Oh, I'm sure that's not true! Heh, "Queen of 20 Page One Shots". That's funny. O.o

**Penguin27:** Thanks very much for the compliment. ^^

**AnimeAmba:** Yes, Ami has an angsty life…0.0'' I wonder if I'll end up being too hard on her…*coughcough* spoilers! *Is concerned* Anyway, I hope those problems of your family's have been solved by now…

**MissBehavin:** I'm glad you liked those parts. And good for you of getting rid of the Evil People! :P 

**Haruko: **Thank you for all the kind words. ^^ I've been doing allright, and I hope you've been doing the same (or better). I'm really touched that you seem so fond of Ami…that is one of the things I've been wanting to achieve…^_^

**Rach-Chan: **Your welcome! ^^ Hope you enjoy.


	12. Not Without You

Disclaimer: I DO own Rurouni Kenshin! I have Volume 1 in my closet! XD

**Not Without You**

It had been raining for the past few days, but today it seemed, was an exception. The ground was damp, but quickly drying from the sun. The sudden good weather was not the only thing different. There was a change in position today, from the two rurouni. 

Instead of Ami faithfully a few paces behind, she was walking in front of him today. One of the kimono Sachi had packed was being put to use; Ami had put on the patterned robe for protection from the cold air of the previous night and had not bothered to tie it. Her peasant shirt and short pants were plainly visible underneath the open robe, and there was a funny bounce to her step as she hitched up the kimono so that the long skirt would not drag in the mud. 

Kenshin watched all this with a pleasant smile on his face, enjoying the peaceful atmosphere. He let his mind wander, but was brought quickly back as he heard a splash and a dismayed cry from Ami.

"Aiya!!" she wailed quickly. The ground had tricked her. She had put her foot down on the supposedly firm ground, only to have it sink a few centimeters. She pulled out her foot with a loud smacking sound as the sole of her sandal pulled apart from the wetness, and kicked hard to sling the mud off of her foot and sandal. She sidestepped to firm ground and spun around, facing Kenshin expectantly.

"It's all right," Kenshin smiled. "I do that all the time."

Ami's eyes narrowed in doubt and her eyes immediately swept down to his feet to scan his tabi, but Kenshin swept past her before she could get a good glimpse. "There's water nearby," he called over his shoulder. "We can go there if you want to wash it off."

"Really?" She asked, forgetting about her suspicions. "Did you see it?"

"I heard it." 

Ami blinked in confusion, but kept silent. If Kenshin said so, then that was that. She trusted his instinct, and a few minutes later, Kenshin led them off the road into the brush, where indeed a small stream was waiting for them. 

Ami smiled at her good fortune and dumped her pack onto the grass, sliding off the kimono as she ran down to the stream. She slowed down as she reached the bank and then dunked her dirty foot into the water, kicking to dislodge the particles. When she was satisfied, she stepped out and turned to Kenshin, smiling admiringly. 

"I didn't hear anything at all! Did you learn how to hear that well? Or is it just because your senses are really… good…" her voice became softer after the word "senses". 

His senses are really good- 

_In order to be a spy-_

_He could hear the villagers gossiping those few times-_

Hiro- 

She paused, breathing heavily in recognition, connections running through her head.  

"Ami-chan?" Kenshin walked carefully towards her, brows furrowed in concern. Her head snapped up and she gazed at him, lips gently parted in a puzzled expression. Then she smiled and shook her head.

"It's nothing." 

Kenshin relaxed, seeing her carefree smile. His eyes roved up and down her body, noticing the dirtiness of her knees and clothes. Though he kept his relaxed posture, he frowned inside. 

_A little more than half a week, and already she has regained her appearance as a peasant_, he thought. When they were staying at the Kamashi's, Ami was always so clean, skin polished, hair untangled, wearing proper clothes, and the beautiful little girl she was out in the open. But now…anyone who bothered to glance at her would see a small raggedy pauper. He disliked the thought. 

"Why don't you wash up?" Kenshin suggested. "We can take a break."

Ami eyed him quizzically, wondering why he was suddenly so concerned about her hygiene. She looked down at herself with a more criticizing eye and noticed what she had overlooked before. Dirt on her knees and hands…she flushed, embarrassed at herself. Was she making Kenshin ashamed? Without a word, she slipped out of her sandals and waded into the stream as Kenshin turned his back and started to unload his pack.

Ami hadn't told Kenshin, but the water was quite cold; it still wasn't spring yet, after all. She shivered as she splashed water onto her knees and arms, rubbing briskly. She squatted down, not letting her pants touch the water, and dunked her head into the stream. 

_It's COLD_, was Ami's first thought as the chilly water surrounded her face. _I'm stupid_, was the second. 

"Ami!" Kenshin yelled, surprised, spinning around as he heard the splash. Ami heard the cry and quickly pulled herself out of the water, blinking to clear up her sight and feeling quite foolish.

_Baka_, she thought to herself miserably as she stared at the ground, combing quickly through her wet tangled hair with her fingers. _This probably isn't what he meant at all! Maybe he just wanted me to wash my hands or something! Now I might get sick and slow us down!_ True to her thoughts, she sneezed.   

Kenshin was at a loss, staring at her dumbly. _Oh, you idiot! _He thought to himself. _What were you thinking? It's still winter, and you told her to wash?!_ He motioned Ami to come closer, already searching for something for her to change into or dry with. _But still…I didn't think she would've have taken it so literally…_ he cursed at himself. Of course she would have! She's Ami! 

He seized the kimono that Ami had been wearing earlier and held it out to her. "You can dry yourself with this," he said. Ami took it, but made no move to use it.

"But it's too fancy! I can't get it wet-"

"We can always wash it later, Ami-chan," he said in a tired voice. "Laundry isn't a problem, but your health is."

She blushed at the rebuke and stared at the ground, obeying his command. Kenshin sighed, and ran a hand through his hair. _We wouldn't have such problems were we still at the Kamashi estate…_ Images of Ami enjoying herself there flashed through his mind. _Would it have been better…to leave her there?_ He felt slightly sick at the thought.  

~*~

They ate in silence, both preoccupied with their thoughts. Ami bit into the sweet rolls Sachi had made. She smiled at the memory of the woman, the memory tinged with confusion still lingering over the woman's strange moments. Like how upset she had been the last couple of days they stayed… 

Still bent over her food, Ami took a quick glance at Kenshin. She admired how the sun glinted off of his hair… her smile grew wider, suppressing a giggle as she quickly turned back to her sweet roll. She remembered the earlier thought she had had, about Kenshin and senses. It was a stupid thought; there wasn't any way it could be true…. 

'Hiro had good senses, and he was a spy. If Kenshin has good senses…does that mean he could've been a spy?' 

She almost shook her head. It was the most ridiculous thing she had ever heard. Hiro had always been quiet. But Kenshin…. he smiled, he laughed, he could even become angry. He was too warm a person to be a spy. She couldn't imagine him slinking down an alleyway at night, watching people without ever being caught. Ami was about to try and imagine Hiro in such a position, but suddenly realized how she might be insulting him, in a way. 

True, Ami could not recall a time when he had laughed, and his smiles were so few, but that didn't mean he was emotionless! And to think that warm people could not be spies…was she saying that Hiro was cold? Even if Hiro's eyes _were_ a shade of blue that made you think of ice, and his face seemed to be always set in a serious expression, didn't mean… Ami closed her eyes and shook her head, as if hoping to shake the thoughts out of her mind. She whispered an apology to her brother with her mind, and tried to concentrate on other matters.

Finished with the sweet roll, she glanced once more at Kenshin, who seemed deep in thought. She could inquire after him, but Ami didn't want to disrupt his privacy. His thoughts were his own, after all.

~*~

The next day was sunny again, and Ami was perfectly well, thankfully. They were taking a wilder trail, and she ran energetically along the high grasses. The sun reflected brilliantly off of her hair.  

As Ami pushed her way through the tall grass, her mind jumped back to focus on Kenshin. He was still deep in thought…and she was still reluctant to question him. Was it something to do with her? Perhaps she was displeasing him in some way… Ami was unhappy at the thought. She pushed through the brush quicker, ignoring the scratches she was getting on her legs. 

Hours later, they stopped for a rest. Sitting on the ground across from each other, Kenshin wordlessly held out some food to her. But to his surprise, she refused, shaking her head. 

I'm not going to stand by like this anymore! I don't want to intrude…but… 

"Kenshin?"

He blinked, slowly sitting back, withdrawing his hand. "What is it? Is there something you wish to tell me?"

She bit her lip. _Isn't there something you'd like to tell **me**? _She thought. "I…I was just…" She lost her nerve, eyes flickering to the side. She tried to force herself to look at his face. "You…seem to be thinking about something."

His eyes clouded over again, and Ami felt her heart drop a notch. "You know," she said desperately, "you can tell me _anything_, Kenshin! I'd never breathe a word, to no one-"

Kenshin couldn't help it. He smiled at her, amused by her earnest tone. Ami broke off at the sign of his smile, flushing, but a growing feeling of triumph aroused in her at shaking him loose from his mood. 

"I'm sorry," said Kenshin. He paused, trying to find a way to say his thoughts. "I was wondering…if you miss the Kamashi estate." 

"Miss the estate…?" she repeated, slightly confused at this information. "Yes, I miss Domon-san and Sachi-san, if that's what you mean…"

"Would you have liked," Kenshin said, carefully choosing his words, "to stay there?"

Ami frowned, heart beginning to pound painfully. What was he trying to say? 

"St-stay?" she asked, voice high from her tenseness. "Longer?"

"Stay there. Live with them."

The painful feeling spread from her chest to her throat. She could have choked. It was amazing how his words were affecting her body. Fighting off the numbness, she got up on her knees and crawled closer towards him until their faces were a finger's length away. She was unconsciously urging him to look into her eyes and see the answer there.

They froze, Ami breathing heavily, and finally, she whispered, "No. Never. Not without you." The tension was somehow released with these words, and Ami leaned back, away from him. "Not without you." She whispered again, barely audible. She stiffened again, realizing how her words might affect him.

_I don't want to be a burden…I don't want him to feel obligated to take care of me… I want him to **want** me to be with him… _

"If you wanted me to, I would stay." She tried to relax and give the impression that she didn't care. "Just tell me. That's all you would need to do."

Her breath caught as Kenshin leaned forward and placed his hand on her head, fingers intertwining with the deep black strands. Her eyes focused on the ground, heat prickling from her body as she felt the weight and warmth from Kenshin's palm.

"I was wondering whether or not you'd be more comfortable in a home like theirs," he said. Ami could feel his breath above her. "But it seems you are happier with me." He leaned back, drawing his hand away from her. Heart beating rapidly, Ami dared to look up into his face. Her breath caught once more; he was smiling fully, eyes closed in trust. "And if that is the case…I would like it if you were to stay with me. Your happiness is what matters, de gozaru."

Her breathing wasn't as painful as before. A deep happiness swelled up inside her, and she smiled back, strangely feeling like crying. _I know what this is… I love… It must be you… _Her eyes radiated her adoration, and she had to keep herself from reaching out to grab his hand, wanting to feel his warmth again. 

_"Your happiness is what matters, de gozaru."_

_"You make me happy,"_ she wanted to say.

_Always._

And then a growl erupted from her stomach, and the spell was broken. Ami blushed a deep crimson and she looked away, holding her abdomen as if to block its insistent noises. Kenshin smiled as he once again extended food to her.

This time she took it.

 ~*~

Author's Notes:

Oh my goodness! I actually updated! _'' I think my muse is dying. I need to find a new one. Unlike most events, I actually had planned an encounter like this after Ami and Kenshin departed from their first host. It got the basic point across (Ami giving a sign she'd rather stay with him), however, the scene turned out pretty different emotional wise. 

In my daydreamed encounter, Ami remained perfectly cheerful throughout it all, and after she says that she wants to stay with Kenshin, Kenshin becomes happy too. But now that I'm writing all this out I've developed Ami's character a lot more, so then I deduced that she may not act so cheery during an ordeal of Kenshin questioning her happiness. It was also surprising that she acknowledged she had such deep feelings for Kenshin so early…X_X'' It's so strange how these things turn out without my intentions.

Anyway, about next chappy… I want to see how many days I can squeeze into it. I mean, if each chapter is a couple of days, this fic is going to end up pretty darn long. O_o' Heh. Well, hopefully I'll be able to write quicker. 

Review Replies:

**Haruko:** KA… you know, sometimes I wish it would turn out that way. The thing about writing stories with OCs as main characters is that there are so many different paths you could take with them! Possibilities are endless! But for this version I've already chosen a path, so other endings are up for imagination. :P And thanks again for your kind comments about Ami…makes me feel proud of her in a strange way. ^_^'****

**Maeve Riannon: **Yup, fantasies of COOKING for him. That's Ami for you. ^^' And about that fanart I was going to draw for you… x_x I swear, I'll try and finish & scan it soon! Mostly the scanning part that's the problem… not sure if my Dad will let me use his. Well, thank you for checking out my writing. I'm very honored. J

**Meiharu:** Thanks for the compliment! I'm glad you enjoyed. ^_^ 

**EEevee:** I've never cooked a real dish by myself, so I wouldn't know whether I have skill or not. Most likely no. And whaddaya know, I've seen Grave of the Fireflies too! Except it was in Chinese, so I didn't understand _most_ of it… so frustrating not being able to understand your own language. ^^' Embaressing too.

**AnimeAmba:** Writer's block… *hands you a jackhammer to tear it down* I hate that thing. So troublesome… Well, you know I'll be patiently waiting for you to get inspiration. ^^

**MissBehavin:** Yeah, ff.net has been having some problems lately… So the Sachi and Ami interactions were satisfactory? Excellent! I was afraid it would seem like a very awkward "sob sob" moment. 

**the sacred night:** Yeah, I like them wandering better too. Not so many characters to deal with… ^^' lazy me. And I'm so glad you liked Ami's cooking wish. ^_^ I was happy to read your comments.


	13. Days: Umbrella

Disclaimer: I DO own Rurouni Kenshin! I have Volume 1 in my closet! XD

Days: Umbrella

Their days rolled by like the clouds, Ami realized. A slow, unhurried pace, peacefully rolling by. But at the same time, it was too fast. You watch the cloud drift lazily by, and you close your eyes in contentment. But when you wake up, the cloud is gone, and a new one has already replaced its spot. 

She could have compared life with Kenshin to be like a dream, except for the times when it was painfully real. The times when she felt so self-conscious and turned her mind over and over in worry of which answer would be best for Kenshin's inquiries. The times she liked best were when they said few, or nothing at all, and she was free to admire him. She had the most time to do this when they walked. 

She loved the way the morning sunlight lit his hair so that various hues of red and orange battled with each other in every movement he made. She smiled as she noticed how his hair bobbed ever so slightly with each step he took. She liked to watch how his body moved under his clothing, marveling quietly at each surefooted step he made. He was like a favorite painting of hers. You can scan the painting carefully and notice a detail you had overlooked before. They were small things, but precious to her. Sometimes Ami noticed a small tear in his clothing, here and there, or a place that has been patched up. Or that yesterday there were five stray hairs from his topknot, and today there are twelve. 

Sometimes she caught herself and felt guilty for looking at him so intently. It felt like spying (Hiro, she thought excitedly). But she couldn't help herself. How could she not appreciate him? Still, sometimes she made herself look away and pay attention to other things, like the trees, plants, and birds. But her gaze always landed back on him sooner or later.   

~*~

The presence of spring was evident, as the days grew warmer and sunnier. The agreeable weather helped Ami unconsciously become more daring around Kenshin, and when she was in an especially enthusiastic mood she would let herself run around with abandon, doing what she felt like. She would do things like walk in a straight line, one foot in front of the other, or simply twirl around, stopping before she became too dizzy. That would be going too far, she thought. The thought of stumbling around stupidly in dizziness in front of Kenshin was repulsive to her. She would seem childish.

~*~

There was one immense change to Kenshin's habits as a wanderer, now that he had the company of another. It was the effect it was having on his mind.

_I walk the maze of moments  
  
_

_But everywhere I turn to  
  
_

_Begins a new beginning  
  
_

_But never finds a finish_  
  


When he was alone, his thoughts always turned on themselves and battled with each other. He was continuously seeking answers that he could not find on his own. But with Ami with him, his thoughts were straying towards her more than to himself. 

_I walk to the horizon  
  
_

_And there I find another  
  
_

_It all seems so surprising  
  
_

_And then I find that I know_

_Maybe this is the way_, Kenshin wondered. Even before he started to officially travel, he had resolved to try and not get too involved with the ones he helped. They would be in danger, being connected to him. Like Tomoe… it was because of him that she met her end. But no one had recognized him in a long time. His fear for Ami's safety because of his identity was slowly dying, though he was still wary. 

I took the turn and turned to  
  


_Begin a new beginning  
  
_

_Still looking for the answer  
  
_

_I cannot find the finish___

Ami was happier with him, he knew. That was the truth. But whether it was better this way, he still did not know. He had yet to become involved with trouble with Ami at his side. For Ami to be put in danger or harmed because of him… Kenshin sighed heavily. If such ever happened, he would have to sacrifice her happiness for her safety. That was the priority. 

~*~

_Is it me, or are we going slower? _Ami mused. She grinned a little, feeling amused at Kenshin. Was he doing it unconsciously, or was it because of her? At the thought, her smile lessened, but quickly came back as she fought off the bad mood. It was a beautiful day, and she didn't want to spoil it for herself. 

Spreading her arms to help keep balance, she lifted each leg high as she walked, giving Kenshin the strange impression of a walking heron. An awkward one, at that. She caught him looking at her and blushed the faintest of pinks, smiling shyly, then adverting her gaze to escape his questioning smile.

Somehow she managed to pass him with her strange walk, and Kenshin was content to watch her go. She started to hum to herself, probably thinking that he could not hear. It was more of a soft crooning tune than a song. Kenshin smiled, finding himself beginning to hum also, but softly as to not disrupt her melody. 

A small breeze came up and brushed against his face refreshingly, carrying Ami's voice. He smiled as she began to sing words, and smiled wider when he heard what they were.

"Big sun, little sun, poking out of small clouds, little sun, big sun, beating up the small clouds," she said absentmindedly, nodding head from side to side. "Big rain, small rain, barely covering brown ground, small rain, big rain, making puddles on my head-" she paused, fully realizing what she was saying and laughed out loud.

Another gust blew up and Ami grinned and chanted under her breath, "Big wind, small wind, barely making hair fly, small wind, big wind, whipping strands all around!" She paused, waiting for another inspiration. A bird sang from somewhere in the trees and Ami opened her mouth to speak but another voice beat her to it.

"Little bird, large bird…"

Ami froze, shocked. Mouth agape, she spun around to stare at Kenshin, who smiled at her sheepishly. "What should go with that, I wonder?"

She turned red, but at the same time felt a deep excitement that Kenshin had joined her. She had never heard him sing before…. It made her feel extremely giddy, somehow. 

"Um… little bird, large bird, making rabbits run and hide," she said, thinking of hawks and falcons. She paused, letting Kenshin have the chance to make up the next verse, eyeing him hopefully, eager to hear him sing.

"Large bird, little bird, letting travelers hear their song," he said softly. Ami's heart beat painfully hard at his voice. She stayed at her spot, letting Kenshin catch up to her, then shot him an adoring smile. 

"Best verse," she said in a neutral tone, letting it be either a question or a statement. Kenshin laughed.

"Is that so? I rather liked the 'puddles on your head'."

She blushed and looked to the ground, twisting. Suddenly, she recalled another moment. The time they were sitting together under one of the trees in the Kamashi garden. She blew out air from between her lips and said, "You're tricky."

Does he remember? Does he remember the time he said that to me? 

She held her breath, barely concealing her nervous excitement. Kenshin blinked, but then the time seemed to come back to him and he smiled, patting her on the head.

"Not really," he said.

Ami's heart rose, indescribably pleased that he would remember such a small moment… well, not small to her. "Not really," she repeated dutifully and she grinned, turning away to hide it. She felt Kenshin's eyes on her for a while longer, and then the hand was removed and he started forward.

"Let's go."

Ami nodded, and as she jogged a bit to catch up with him, she vowed to remember that verse forever.

~*~

It was raining, again.

"I had thought," Ami said quietly, with a wistful tone, "that the weather would stay bright."

She clutched her sack and carved items closer to her as she waited for Kenshin's reply.

"It's all right. Sometimes it is unpredictable like that."

A short answer. Ami sighed and clutched the still closed umbrella closer. She had made another one a few days ago only because the wood's shape was good for the item. She hadn't expected that it would be needed to be put into use so soon… 

Kenshin's using his… 

Ami bent her head down to her chest with a fond smile, watching the road gather puddles. She avoided them carefully, recalling another time. _I won't step in one this time… _

She opened hers and the two made their way down the road.

~*~

Before Ami knew it, they were walking into a small village filled with small brown shacks. The dark brown color of the small homes and the gray of the sky made the setting seem a little gloomy. 

_But, _Ami thought, _these houses remind me of my old home. _The poor quarters were built in almost the exact same way as the hut she had lived in with her brother. Ami wondered if Hiro was better off wherever he was now… _He is NOT dead! _

They wandered through the main road, which went through what obviously was the town marketplace, though right now it was empty and the stalls packed away. Ami had the feeling that the village was very private. Even in wet weather, usually there was _someone_ outside at the marketplace.

"Do you want to rest?" Kenshin asked. He gestured to some benches under the roof of a public building. "That's the only thing this village could provide us. It looks too poverty stricken to offer food or shelter."

Indeed, what looked like what could have once been a restaurant was closed and rundown. Ami closed her eyes and shook her head. "It's all right. I don't want to intrude. Besides, I think any resources here need to be saved for the townspeople, not some strangers." She smiled good-naturedly.

"That's true," Kenshin sighed, running a hand through his hair. They continued easily through the streets. Ami's eyes began to subconsciously focus on him as usual, and a little while later, it occurred to her that his posture had changed. He seemed slightly…stiffer. Was something the matter? She averted her gaze to in front of him and gave a little "oh!" in surprise.  

Up ahead, propped up against one of the public buildings, was a man. His simple clothes suggested he wasn't homeless since they were not rags, and he seemed to be staring into space. 

_Drunk?_ Ami wondered. As they drew closer, she was able to see his face more clearly. His expression was completely wretched, and he looked older than his years, which may have been a couple above Kenshin's age. Ami frowned in pity. The rain was dripping onto his head, but he didn't seem to care…

Ami shifted her umbrella to the side and looked up into the gray sky. She blinked, a reaction to the raindrops falling on her face. _I don't mind the rain… not really… so… _

They were almost there, but man didn't give any sign that he noticed them. And then they were right in front of him! Her footsteps almost betrayed her and took her past him, but she forced herself to pause. 

"Do you want it?" She was almost whispering, as if not wanting to alert Kenshin. He was still going. However, he was already turning around having noticed her stop. His umbrella lowered and the rain ran down his hair as he watched them silently.

The man stared into space behind her. Ami tensed in slight nervousness. She extended her hand further, umbrella tilted towards him. The man's eyes flickered and darted to her face, then to the umbrella.

"What?" His voice was slow and sounded raspy, as if he had worn it out earlier.

"Do you want it? You're getting wet."

His hand shot up suddenly and knocked the umbrella away from him. Ami heard the clinking sound of Kenshin's sword as he shifted. She wanted to glance at him but didn't dare, keeping her eyes on the man's face. His gaze was lifeless except for the tiniest glimmer of defiance. 

Ami studied him for a while longer, kneeling down. She fought off a smile, knowing it would probably make the man even more reluctant. _I understand you, I think. _Slowly, with both hands, she placed the umbrella in front of him, head bowed slightly in offering. 

Her head was kept bowed until she fully stood. Then she turned to Kenshin and began to walk. He had a neutral expression, but Ami noticed how close his hand was to his sword. _It's all right, come on_, she thought silently as she walked past him, and Kenshin followed her lead. As they walked further away from the man, Ami tried to fall back to her usual place behind Kenshin, but his hand against her back stopped her from retreating further.

Her lips parted in surprise from the contact and her head whirled up to look at his face. He smiled.

"You've lost your umbrella." 

"Mm," Ami said, eyes wandering to the ground from nervousness. She forced herself to look up again. "It's all right."

His head jerked up to nod against his own umbrella. _The one I gave him that time… _Ami noted with hot pride. "Why don't you come under here with me," Kenshin said, still smiling. His arm came up to hook around her shoulders, drawing her nearer. Her eyes widened with the forwardness and she blushed, at the same time relishing the comforting feeling of being so close to him.

"Dry?"

"Mm-hm." She nodded. She could no longer feel the raindrops hitting her head. Biting her lip, she carefully pressed closer against him. If he noticed the movement, Kenshin gave no sign. Exhaling softly, Ami smiled and peeked back to look at the man.

He was reaching for the umbrella.

~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~

I was dead for a while, and then returned from the grave. That's my excuse!

What, don't believe me? *cough*

Well, sorry I took so long! I really hope I get the next chapter done quicker; at least I have a plot laid out for it! (Sort of. And I sort of had a lay out for this one too, but didn't help much, did it?)

And this was the first time I used lyrics, too. It was from "Anywhere Is" by Enya. I thought they sort of fit…I just put it in mostly for experimenting, though. *shrug*

My Dad accidentally rented Seisouhen for me too early… I spent a lot of time freaking out about whether to watch it or not. I was too afraid of seeing dear Kenshin pass away so I only watched Part 1 then sent it back. ^_^;;  btw, the English dub was terrible. I nearly died. Well, not really. But you get the picture.

Oh yes! In my stupid little xanga blooby site, which the link is posted at my bio, I loaded a computer drawn picture of Ami in case anyone wants to see. Not that good, mind you, but at least you get an idea of what she looks like. Or, you could ignore it and stick with your own inner image of Ami, whatever you like. ^_^  Also on the site are tons of T/K doujinshi scans, in case your interested. It took a long time going around Ebay searching for T/K doujinshi and saving the sample scans to my com. It was also very bad for my health, because I kept steaming and wailing over how I couldn't bid for them.

Anyway, enough of all that. **Review Replies!:**

**Empress Nahte:** Yeah, of course you were joking! ^_^ *weird look* Right? Lol, Thanks a lot for checking this out June… I know for me, reading through 12 straight chapters is pretty tedious. Thankies. ^_^

**AnimeAmba:** M…Mini Aoshis? XD Oh, I just imagined that right now and it's quite a sight. Somehow more appealing than Mini Kenshins…DID I JUST SAY THAT?! Ack! *runs to imaginary Kenshin shrine and prays for forgiveness* o_o;;

**Lady E1:** Thanks so much for your compliments!! I'm glad you noticed the "Souka" thing, because I sort of wanted people to notice that's sort of one of Ami's trademarks. Like how you hear an "Oro!" and know Kenshin is behind it. What Ami feels for Kenshin… yeah, you could say admiration. Adoration. *prods* Well, she looks up to him a lot. 

**Maeve Riannon: **As proven from long update time, Muse is unhealthy! *pokes it* Yeah, not having a scanner is reaaally annoying. But maybe it's good. If I had a scanner, I'd be scanning everything. 0_0 Thanks for your comments, I enjoyed reading them. J 

**EEevee:** Thanks. Heh, I remember one time when I was little I was running through a field…and fell into a mud hole. O_o And that was right after school, so people saw me. It was pretty embarrassing. Well, hope you like the movies if you got to see them! 

**Miss Behavin:** Thanks!! And about things not turning out the way you thought they would… that's another hard thing for plots not planned. There are so many things I could do with this fic! (Like bring Hiro back or something, though I'm already pretty sure that won't happen…) But thankfully I've gotten a path planned out…hope I can stick to it.

**Meiharu:** I hope you like this chapter too!! That was a cute cat face by the way. ^_^ 


	14. Advice Disregarded

Disclaimer: I DO own Rurouni Kenshin! I have Volumes 13 in my closet!

-

Advice Disregarded

-

The white of the moon could be seen through the small spaces between the foliage of the trees, a comforting presence guiding them. When the light hit Ami's face, the whiteness of her skin clashed terribly with the dark colors of the night. Even Kenshin's red hair seemed an almost brown color as he treaded along in the shadows.

It was quiet, except for the noise of their footsteps crushing nature's litter and crickets. Too quiet, Ami felt, who usually preferred silence. Her breathing even seemed too loud and she tried to tone it down. She wanted to talk to Kenshin, to break her uneasiness, but she couldn't. What would she say? It didn't help that Kenshin kept his back to her, maintaining the same pace. He seemed to be aloof from her and the world, just moving automatically.

_I want Hiro… _she whispered inwardly. With the thought, she acknowledged that this was possibly the first time she had wanted Hiro's company over Kenshin's. The realization hurt her, and because of that hurt she became even guiltier, towards Kenshin _and_ Hiro.

With Hiro, most conversations were one sided. Ami could chatter on for hours to him, and not receive one word back or feel foolish. She supposed that was why it felt so comfortable for her talking to him. It was a little like talking to yourself, except you knew for sure someone was listening. _They would be similar now_, _Kenshin and Hiro_, Ami thought. She watched Kenshin walk in front of her, not glancing back. Hiro would be like that sometimes. But she always knew he listened.

Kenshin would listen too, she knew. He wasn't one to ignore people. But with Kenshin, it was so _different_. Kenshin would respond to her words, talk back to her, let her know what he thought. Hiro let you sort out your thoughts by yourself, gently prodding you to the right answer with small expressions: a raised eyebrow, a frown, a calm gaze. You could find so much in those eyes, as impassive as they were.

She squeezed her hands, becoming sad with her reminiscing. Again, she wondered where Hiro was and whether he was doing well. She hoped so, with all her heart.

-

"What are you making?" His tone was full of curiosity. 

Ami looked up from her work, startled. She knew she shouldn't be. She was in plain view, after all. But she had hoped, somehow, that Kenshin wouldn't notice. Slowly, she put her knife down and extended the piece of bark to him.

"I…" she fell silent as he examined her work, wanting to delay telling him. She watched him stroke the marks she had made gently. Watching him do so created a strange feeling in her throat. So gentle to her brother's face…

"This is good! I didn't know you made these as well." He smiled at her. "Ami-chan is widely talented, isn't she?" His tone was praising and lightly teasing at the same time.

Ami didn't reply, merely blushing slightly and looking at the ground. She was still slightly tense from predicting what he would ask next.

"Is it somebody you know?"

And there it was.

"It's… it's supposed to be my brother," she said softly.

From the top of her vision she watched his posture change, more on guard. He was looking at the wood carving more carefully now.

"You are… missing your brother?" he asked, cautiously. Giving it a final glance, he handed it back to her. As Ami took it, she impulsively wanted to clutch the carving of her brother's face to her chest. But she resisted the action; she had the feeling that it would affect Kenshin negatively, somehow.

"Yeah," she said slowly. "I'm just having a bit of nostalgia, I guess." She shot him her best smile. "You really think it's good? This was my first time making a woodprint." She chatted on, trying to distract him from the topic of her brother. She knew Kenshin saw what she was doing, but he let it pass.

It was morning, and soon they started traveling again.

-

She was in a sour mood. 

Her thoughts were no longer peaceful as she walked, like how it had been those long days before. She was irritated, and because of that, annoyed with herself.

_Happy thoughts_, she urged herself. _Kenshin, Kenshin, Kenshin!_

Despite her attempts, a certain brown haired brother quickly knocked the image of the red haired man out of sight. And sadly, her dear brother's face caused her distress. _Hiro…_ she whined in her head. She wished that she could see him for _real_, to see how he was doing. But that was close to impossible, she knew. Wishing for him would just take her mind off the present tasks at hand. Wherever he was, Hiro would be just fine, Ami told herself.

_But still… _Her hands were itching to get themselves onto the smooth piece of bark on which her brother's face was beginning to show up on. She had a strange feeling that if she finished the piece, it would be like a good luck token to Hiro, wherever he was now. But of course, their daily routine prevented Ami from stopping and taking time to finish. The only free time she had was when they retired for the night, and in the morning. For the first time, she truly resented her new lifestyle.

Ami remained in a sour state for the rest of the hour.

-

Her selfish yearnings to halt right there and take out the woodprint to finish stopped as Kenshin paused, holding out a hand behind him to stop her as well. She was about to ask what was the matter, but snapped her mouth shut just in time, sensing he needed to focus for a moment. 

His eyes narrowed slightly in realization, and she narrowed hers as well, seeing that he felt there was danger.

"Kenshin?" she murmured softly, coming closer behind him. He didn't need to answer. Craning her ears, she began to hear the faint sounds of shouting up ahead. "What-" she began, but was cut off by Kenshin's swift movement to the side. Now there were sounds of police whistles. _What do we do?_

"Go into the brush," he said sharply, answering her unspoken question. She nodded though he didn't see, and darted into undergrowth.

As she pushed past the branches, she looked back, trying to catch sight of Kenshin. She considered disobeying him and staying closer than he would have liked, but determinedly swallowed her curiosity and longing to stand by him, striding on. She would remain obedient; it was one of the least she could do for him. She bolted.

-

Kenshin walked further down the road, ears craned for both Ami and the new comers. Their footsteps were louder now, and he could hear that they were running. He could sense their ki, frantic and desperate. _What could make them so upset?_ He wondered. It made his hand drift closer to his sword, prepared to deal with conflict. There may not be too much danger, but he wasn't taking any chances with Ami. He would settle this by himself, and then call her back out later. But then he heard the loud breaking of twigs and leaves, and his eyes widened. The newcomers had fled into the brush! Had he unintentionally sent Ami into danger? 

Without wasting any time, he darted off the road to the direction he believed Ami had headed.

-

She nearly tumbled into the small clearing as she charged through. She  
sprang up, staying still in a cautious crouch. She looked wildly around, but she could see no one. Ami pawed at the ground, searching for something she could use as a weapon. Fingers scrabbling over small pebbles, she suddenly slammed her hand down, angry with herself. 

"Baka!" she yelped, practically throwing off her pack and reaching inside for her knife. Pulling it from its sheath, she stared at the blade in a new light. She had been using it mostly for carving, all this time… when it's true purpose was to defend. What she called a knife, was actually the dagger that her old neighbor Takaru Konure had given her years before… She tried to recall the old woman's face, but could not. Gripping the handle with new resolution, she stood up, holding it out warily. She was thankful for the kind woman's gift, allowing her to practice her skills, and now, possibly aid Kenshin, if it came to it.

_Someday… maybe, Takaru-san, I **will** come back and try to see you_, she vowed silently. _But not now. _Breathing out, she closed her eyes in apology to the woman she could not remember and looked back at the way she had come. _Kenshin…_ She hated this. She didn't want to be away from him. She wanted to wound whoever threatened her man.

"Ah," she breathed, surprised with her forwardness. He wasn't hers, she tried to remind herself. Kicking the dirt with her foot, she clutched the dagger tighter. _But I… I hate leaving it all to him…_

Before she could think any more, she became all too aware of the crashing noises coming towards her. Leaping to the side, dagger held out in front of her, she bared her teeth savagely, trying to get up her courage for battle. Though she had wanted to arm herself, she hadn't expected that whoever was coming would go straight for her! The noises of whoever were coming closer became louder, and she could hear them panting. The noise of their racket and her heartbeat filled up her ears, until it became almost too much to bear and she was almost wishing they would just hurry up and arrive.

CRASH!

The first man burst through the thick brush, carrying bundles in his arms.

And then he raced past by her.

Ami stared dumbfoundedly at his retreating back, cry choking disbelievingly in her throat. "H-" But then she was cut off once more by another running man, also carrying items hastily wrapped in cloth. He passed without seeing her. Half relieved that they didn't seem to be extremely threatening and half irritated that she had worked herself up for nothing, she stood up and planted herself in the middle of the clearing so that the next would not miss her.

"HEY!" she cried out fiercely. She heard the men behind her spin around, startled. The third slowed his pace as he appeared from the direction the other two had come from. She opened her mouth again, but the men began to babble at her all at once.

"Hey, kid, shut it-"

"Who're you-"

"Whoever asks, you never saw us, all right sweetie?" The first man who had appeared blurted out, yanking the second man's sleeve, the one who had told Ami to shut up. The second man quickly caught onto the act.

"Yeah, we were never here darlin', gotta run-" He and his companions turned to leave, but were stopped with a surprised cry.

"Miyami-dono, Kaminaga-dono, Yokokawa-dono!"

_Dono_, Ami thought, recognizing the voice immediately as she spun around. _Kenshin!_

He was looking shocked as he surveyed the three, suddenly guilty young men. Then the third cheered up, taking a step forward.

"Himura-san! It's so exciting to see you again! I know we promised to stop stealing, but we swear, these snobs deserved it-"

The other two started babbling along.

"Mother's sick again, Himura-san, I just need a little money-"

"They're so rude to everyone, so we made sure to only rob them, only those who deserve it Himura-"

"Will you help us again, Himura-san? Just don't say anything, we left the police behind a while ago-"

_Stealing? Kenshin helped them before?_ Ami frowned confusedly, annoyed at the young adults. They were just making excuses! And to involve Kenshin in their thievery! She stomped forward angrily, reaching out to one of the bundles. The man noticed and immediately jumped back, taking out a longer dagger than what Ami owned, wielding it defensively. The action triggered Kenshin, and he flung out his arm forcefully to get their attention.

"Harm her and you'll have no pity from me, Kaminaga-dono." He said harshly, standing in such a position that his sword was in clear view. Kaminaga took his advice, and quickly put the dagger away, taking a few steps back from Ami as if he was afraid of her. Ami glanced back and forth between the two, then slowly stepped back until she was by Kenshin.

"Hey," said one of the men, the one Ami believed was named Miyami, "Himura-san… we really need to go now." He glanced nervously at the direction they had come from. "The police weren't _that_ far behind, guys…" He gave a nervous laugh. "Well, ja ne, Himura-san!"

Ami felt Kenshin tense, and then was alarmed to feel a strange aura emitting from him. She looked up at him anxiously, and then froze. _Click!_ All four heard the sword being released from its sheath.

"It's been a while since we last met… and you still could not reform in that time?" It barely sounded like a question, and held an accusing tone. "Did I not warn you clearly enough? Your foolish ways are going to cost you your freedom."

Hard eyes seemed to glint amber as he slowly walked in front of the three thieves. "The first time we met, I believed you might deserve a second chance. But now I shall assist in your capture."

As the three men stared in disbelief and slight fear, there was a fluttering in Ami's chest. Her eyes were shining from Kenshin's authoritative tone and felt such pride for him that she felt she might burst. But as one of the men warily unsheathed his dagger, she bit her lip in scorn to him. With a mere dagger, he expected to use it against Kenshin and triumph? She suddenly wished for a hard beating.

"You wish to escape?" Kenshin asked softly. "You had your chance before. Stop now, and accept your consequences as a man."

Kaminaga masked his nervousness with a growl. "Geez, Himura-san! What's wrong with you? You let us off before… this different attitude is ticking me off!"

Just then, the sound of a shrill whistle blew. The men did not move, but Ami started to yell.

"Over here! OVER HERE!"

The noise snapped Kaminaga, and the foolish man charged at Kenshin. Kenshin did not even bother to parry, instead giving a blow directly to the chest. Ami's heart stopped for a moment. Though she was cross with the robbers and wished they would be taught a lesson, the idea of them losing blood made her queasy. But as no blood flew, she once again recalled that Kenshin's sword was a sakabatou, and there was no fear of death while using it.

A flash of movement attracted her eye, and she was appalled to see that Kaminaga's two companions had abandoned him, taking the opportunity of the short brawl to try and run past Kenshin on both sides. Kenshin of course quickly realized this, and he spun around to face their retreating backs. Ami could not see what was happening, but suddenly the two men froze in place, quaking.

"Ah, ah!" They struggled to speak, petrified.

It was as if they were choking, Ami thought, startled. _What did… what did Kenshin do?_

The noise of the police was louder now, and Kenshin turned around. Ami trembled at his gaze, eyes widening. Kenshin's face was set into a deep glare, eyes deadly. She felt hesitant to speak or even move. _His expression is so paralyzing… is that what he did to the thieves? But they weren't even looking at him…_

The police burst through the brush, panting heavily. A well beyond middle aged man who seemed to be the captain drew his saber quickly, aiming it at Kenshin as his men raced past to capture Miyami and Yokokawa.

"Who are you?" the chief barked. Kenshin held up his hands disarmingly. He shifted, and suddenly his expression was back to the way it normally was, calm and cheerful. Ami blinked, confused. _Was it... a trick of the light or shadows? What's going on…?_

"My companion and I were merely trying to assist the law, de gozaru. It seems these thieves have stolen something valuable, have they not?"

The chief nodded warily, his eyes continually straying towards Kenshin's scar. Then his eyes widened ever so slightly in recognition. Kenshin's expression changed also, raising his eyebrows a bit.

"Thank you for your assistance," the chief finally said, bowing fumblingly. Kenshin gave a slow nod.

Ami bit her lip, watching the two. There was something she wasn't understanding. Perhaps the chief and Kenshin had met before, also? They were regarding each other rather solemnly. _Maybe Kenshin once saved his life in battle_, Ami guessed and grinned, cheered at the thought. Feeling the need to break up their private understanding, she marched over and grabbed Kenshin's hand gently, looking up at the chief, not wanting to be left out.

The chief looked at her closely, and now Ami felt slightly uncomfortable, trying to quench the urge to fidget under his stare. Off to the side, the thieves were being handcuffed and led away, back to the town they had ran from. Kaminaga was still unconscious. As the other two passed, Ami could see they wanted to say something, but didn't dare. They almost wanted to leave, it seemed, to get away from Kenshin, whom they cringed as they walked past. Ami frowned at them. It was their fault, for getting Kenshin angry. She felt that was a terrible crime.

"Kenshin?" she asked, trying to make her voice cheerful. "Want to go now?"

She didn't want to stay here with the police. She wanted to get herself and Kenshin away from such involvements. Looking up at him, she saw Kenshin nod slowly. Tugging his hand gently, she made a quick bow to the chief as she led them away. He was staring at them with a strange expression. Ami felt his eyes on her back all the way until they were out of sight.

A/N: (I'm sooorry! I'm writing at such a slug's pace now… ; ((Possibly less. I've heard that slugs are actually quite fast)) 

So, Ami was experiencing a bad mood, but after all this commotion she's forgotten it for a while, at least. J There might be some things you need to infer for this chapter, so I'll clear it up. Apparently, Kenshin had met the three thieves before, and decided to let them off easy, hoping they'd change their ways. But after meeting them again and seeing they ignored his advice, don't you think he'd get a little upset? This will affect his mood for more chapters to come.

What Kenshin did to the thieves was a little blast of warrior's ki. He did that once when he first fought against Soujirou, and Misao got zapped instead by accident. She fell over afterwards.

As the thieves were arrested, they could have said that Kenshin was a part time "accomplice" since he had let them escape with a warning before. If I put that in the story, the chief could have just ignored them since he obviously knows who Kenshin is (like how the chief with glasses -forgot his name- let Megumi go since Kenshin had insisted on it after the whole opium affair in the manga) and that would have made Ami even more confused about the way he is treating Kenshin. But I decided not to include that since I don't think the thieves were THAT bad hearted, and plus, like I wrote, they were afraid.

The great Battousai, being led away by a small girl, who also happened to be his traveling partner! ; That's probably along the lines of what the police chief thought, so that's why he stared.

Ok, that's it! Replies!

**Meiharu:** Thanks for the encouragement! Sorry for such a long delay!

**EEevee:** A live gopher. In a jar! 0.0' Well, good for the teacher, at least it wasn't a frog. (I like frogs, but I'm still a bit squeamish on holding them)

**Lady E1:** Worship. You could take it that far, too. Further, if there's another word in English for it. Which I don't think there is… ; Well, thanks for your comments, they make me feel nice and warm inside. :)

**Haruko:** Wow. I just fell one day short of a month since updating. I'm sorry. I recently got a spurt of need-to-write so I finally got this chapter finished. I hope the spurt lasts.

**AnimeAmba:** No, long reviews are good. And good for you! (cheers the mini Aoshis) A mini Sano would be cute too… ((I think the reason I preferred a mini Aoshi to a mini Kenshin was because I'd prefer Kenshin to be a little… more lifesize. cough)) A mini Saitou would frankly scare me. Like those Chuckie movies. Which I haven't watched by the way, because I have an insane fear of dolls.

**MissBehavin:** I'm glad you liked the cloud part. I was actually looking at the clouds this afternoon at school, and suddenly remembered that scene. Heh, pretty weird, eh?

**Seara Himura:** Thanks so much for letting me know you were reading! I really like to know those kind of things. Hope you like this chapter!

**the sacred night:** That thing was a whole other plot. I had sort of developed two storylines that involved Kenshin and Ami, different settings. So that has nothing to do with this. Sorry for the confusion. About the even with her making something, I'll think about it and try and work it in.

**Empress Nahte:** She does? How so? (prod) You'll have to tell me at school. ;)


	15. A Day for Honesty

Disclaimer: I DO own Rurouni Kenshin!! I have Volumes 1&3 in my closet!

**A Day for Honesty**

-

_He's hurting, and I can't help. _

_…I want to help so badly._

-

She had left Kenshin at the inn.

"Go and look around. It's a nice day," he had said. He was trying to get rid of her. She knew it, but had showed no sign of knowing. It wasn't her place to be upset, when Kenshin was.

Something in him had changed after their encounter with the thieves. They had turned around and went the back the way they came, back to the crossroads they had encountered earlier.

Ami had been the one to choose the path to the left. It was her fault. If she hadn't chosen to go left, they would have never met those stupid, foolish robbers. She was the one who had made Kenshin this way…

This time, they had taken the right. And Kenshin was silent the whole way.

_It's my fault. I chose left._

They came to another town, in much better shape then the last. Kenshin had suggested they go to an inn, this time.

"I'll pay too," she had said, in an almost eager tone. He had given her a smile, but he looked tired. Then he had turned her down. He had done these kinds of things before, but this time it felt worse.

She had wondered why he wanted to stay at an inn. Now she knew. He said he was giving her a chance to explore town, be surrounded by people. But in reality… Kenshin just wanted to be alone. And that's how he was, sitting in their small room, back to the wall. That is how Ami had left him, and that is how he would stay when she came back.

"You lost?"

"Hm?" Ami looked around, her gaze sweeping the crowd, finally settling onto a gruff looking man leaning against the post of one of the stores. She forgot to reply, and continued to stare until he raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, no. Just… thinking."

He continued to give her an odd look, probably wanting her to continue, but Ami did not give any more explanations. As he continued to stare, she felt a throb of annoyance. It wasn't his business!

_Why is he trying to butt into things! You don't just ask a person on the street questions like that_, she thought, biting her lip, blaming him irrationally. She didn't want to deal with his questioning stare any longer. Giving him a short bow as a farewell, she walked away quickly. She had an errand to run.

-

His re-encounter with the criminals was a shocking blow to his mind. The first time he had been civil to them, almost gently prodding them into the right direction, though they were not much younger than himself. They had pretended to take his advice into consideration, but had thrown it away once he left them.

_What if it is that way with everyone?_

What if, instead of petty robbers, a more dangerous type of criminal had been allowed a second chance by him? What if he had left, thinking everything was solved, when in truth he was turning his back and letting crimes be committed all over again? Like capturing a wolf, then setting it loose on the chickens.

_Can I truly help others without killing?_

_Perhaps it really is… a weak joke, as Shakkuu-san said._

His eyes widened suddenly, and he hit the wall hard with his fist.

_I made that vow, for Tomoe and I. Her death was not a joke! I'll live this way, no matter what. It's too early for jumping to conclusions._

"Besides," he said aloud, "what would Ami-chan say…."

_She smiled shyly at him, clutching his sakabatou. "I think I like this sword."_

"I do too, de gozaru…"

-

She was back, standing in front of the shop, looking at the man sullenly. She had walked for quite a while down the different stands, searching for a store that would sell pots. After passing many stalls, she finally remembered; that man who had questioned her, he was standing right in front of a pot shop! And so, Ami had to walk all the way back again, even more irritable at the wasted time she had spent searching when the stand had been right there. That man had distracted her from her goal. At her arrival, his eyebrows had risen again.

_It's a wonder they don't stay that way_, Ami thought irritably. She felt like fool. It was terribly embarrassing to leave someone so rudely then come back later. It made her look foolish.

"What do you want?" the man finally called. "Thought you didn't want to confess."

"You're the pot seller," she mumbled.

"Eh?"

"YOU SELL THE POTS," she said loudly, making the people walking around her look back at her curiously. She blushed only slightly, her irritation overpowering her embarrassment.

"You want a pot?"

"Yes, I do," she said steely, clenching her fists. Didn't he just hear her? She glared at him, and the look was not lost.

"Then quit standing in the middle of the road like a goat struck dumb! Get in!"

Ami blinked in surprise at the outburst and fell back into habit, scurrying into the store obediently.

-

"What kind of pot?"

Ami didn't answer, fingering her money pouch. Her eyes swept across all the cooking ware. She hadn't known there'd be such a variety.

"Do you make these?" she asked eventually. She prodded one of the pots in front of her, and then flicked at it with her nail. It made a sharp clanging sound.

"Some," the man shrugged. He repeated himself. "What kind of pot?"

"I don't know…" she said, half to herself.

"Are you usually so anti-social?"

The question took her by surprise. She felt offended. "No," she protested, frowning at him.

"Then are you usually so temperamental? Probably not, judging from your earlier performance. I guess you're just having quick mood swings, puberty does that to you, you know-"

"What?" she snapped. What in the world was this man talking about? Then she realized he had a point, and tried to soften her next sentence. "I mean… what do you mean, earlier performance?"

The man raised an eyebrow and mimicked her clumsy bow and scurried away. Ami flushed.

"You're the one who's mean," she mumbled. "Can you just sell me a pot, please? Kenshin's alone-"

"Fine. Look, just pick one."

"Do they all work well?"

"Of course!"

"Give me the cheapest," she said.

"Quiet _and_ stingy," the man sighed. He reached past a row and grabbed a pot made of tin. She bit her lip from his remark and took the pot, paying him quickly.

"Keep the change," she said, trying to prove how wrong his remark was.

The man counted the money. "There isn't any." He raised his eyebrows at her _again_.

_What! I thought I had given him more money than what was needed!_

"Oh," Ami mumbled. The man patted her on the head.

"You're a weird kid. Are you always striving to please?"

"Hm?" She looked up, startled. "No, I-"

"Excuse me, sir?" a woman's voice rang out. "I'd like to buy this…"

The shop owner gave Ami a look that said _don't move_ and went to tend to his customer. Ami sat down on the table, dumbfounded. Why was this man making so many observations about her? She wasn't really "striving to please", was she? She clutched the pot to her chest.

The man came back after dealing with the buyer and took a seat next to her.

"What do you mean… striving to please," she said after a while, looking down.

"What you're doing now. One moment you're angry, and after I said so, you became docile as a lamb. A remark about cheapness, and you try to be generous."

"That's just being considerate," Ami argued, feeling awkward. Why was she having this conversation with him? But she couldn't just get up and leave now because- _It'd be like before. He said it was "mean", and I don't want to do it again_, she realized. Did that mean what he said was true? But even so…

"Why does it bother you?" she said finally. "I paid for the pot. Things like this shouldn't bother you. You're not supposed to… what about that other customer? Why aren't you having this conversation with her?"

"I couldn't see anything wrong with her. But something is obviously troubling you, girl. And I want to help. I like to help people."

"Why? Is it to repent?" Ami asked suddenly, and immediately regretted the words. The man gave her an even weirder look than before.

"No," he said finally, and Ami was glad he didn't asset himself to figure out her strange words as well. "It's more of a hobby, actually. My nature. I like to think I'm preventing something."

He gave her a look, different than the others. It was more intense and had a confiding aura.

"My daughter-in-law committed suicide a year ago. I had a feeling something was wrong, but I never spoke to her. I don't think I am preventing death, exactly… but something, at least."

Ami became silent, digesting this information gravely. She could feel his eyes on her, so she spoke her thoughts. "You _are_ repenting," Ami declared. "You feel guilty."

The man shrugged. "If you see it that way, sure."

They sat in silence, Ami's legs swinging slowly over the ground. "Do you think everyone is repenting for something?"

"Possibly. Most may be doing it unconsciously, though." He gave a sigh. "We're straying off topic. What's bothering you?"

Ami became stiff. "It's really nothing. It will get better."

His look said he didn't believe her.

"I just want to help someone too," she admitted. "My…" _My what?_ Explaining what Kenshin was exactly to her would take time, and she tried to find an easier, suitable word. Definitely not father, nor brother.

"My friend," she said finally, strangely unsatisfied with the word, "he's feeling unhappy. I'm not sure how to help, because I don't know too much about it. That's why. He won't speak to me."

"Make him."

She was aghast. "_Make_ him? That's terrible! No!"

"Why not? It's better then him sitting around moping, isn't it?"

"He'll be able to solve it," she snapped suddenly, feeling offended for herself and Kenshin. "He can do things like that. I have complete faith in him."

"Then why were you worrying about it in the first place?"

"STOP!" She jumped down onto the ground, facing him, distressed. "Everything will be fine! He'll make sure it will, and I will too! Don't _worry_ about it!"

He moved to get down and she moved back. "Thank you for your help," she said quickly, biting her lip. "But it will be all right. Thanks for the pot." Before he could grab her, she turned and ran.

"It will be okay!" she shouted back, and even in her distress she tried to avoid running into the other people on the road.

-

_Where is Ami?_

Kenshin walked around restlessly in the inn's courtyard. It had been more than an hour. _If anyone has harmed her…_ His eyes narrowed. It would be his fault. He had practically ordered her out, judging from the way Ami obeyed him. He walked out of the courtyard to the busy market where Ami should have been. Eyes roving the crowd at the same time trying to be inconspicuous, he found himself clenching his fist, a nervous reaction, wanting to be grasping the hilt of his sword.

Finally, he spotted her black head at the side of the throng and sped up his pace, heading for her. He saw her before she saw him. She had bought a pot of all things, and was walking slowly, head down as if in deep thought. But as he focused on her ki, he saw that she was upset.

He came up to her, calling her name.

"Ami-chan?"

Her head shot up. She calmed down as she laid sight on him, but there was something in her eyes that triggered Kenshin's concern. She smiled quickly, and the look faded.

"What are you doing out here?" Ami asked as they began to walk back to the inn, side by side. "I thought…" Her voice trailed off and she looked forlorn.

_Ah, she noticed_, Kenshin thought grimly. He looked down at her, saddened that she was so miserable on his behalf.

"I was looking for you. You don't have to worry about me, Ami-chan." He smiled at her, to get his meaning clear. "Children shouldn't have to think about such things." _You should be happy._

_I'll protect your happiness._

Ami bit her bottom lip, nodding obediently, though still troubled. _A child? That's all…?_

A knock to the pot she was carrying brought her back to the present. Kenshin had knocked a fist against it.

"Why did you get this?"

"Because… I thought maybe…"

_You thought serving him one of your dishes would make him all better?_ A voice mocked coldly. _You **are** a child.****_

"Sachi-san said that I should keep practicing cooking," she half-lied. "And I thought… maybe it'd be a treat for both of us. If you ever want to have soup, that is."

"Soup sounds good," Kenshin agreed good-naturedly. "But wouldn't you like some sweets instead?"

"Do you like sweets?" she asked, surprised.

"They are not to my preference," Kenshin admitted.

"Then soup is better," Ami declared. "We don't need sweets."

_It's not a matter of need_, Kenshin thought. He smiled at her, fondly and disappointedly at the same time. He couldn't tell whether Ami really didn't like sweets or if she was just agreeing with him for the sake of it. _But then_, Kenshin realized, _from what I know of her background, how many times has she even had sweets?_

Letting the subject of thought drop from his mind, the pair walked back to the inn. That night, Ami could not sleep.

The girl rose from her futon, turning to sit on her knees as Kenshin watched her. Perhaps he could not sleep also.

_Always _s_triving to please_-

I just want to please Kenshin, that's all, there isn't anything wrong with that- 

_He doesn't deserve to be argued with-_

**_No one_**_ should be argued with by me, I'm not worth it-_

_Because Hiro-_

_He left me all alone-_

_Kenshin-_

_Force him to talk-_

There isn't any way I could do that- 

"It's quite a change, from sleeping under stars to a roof," Kenshin said quietly.

"I'm missing all the night sounds," Ami whispered.

They watched each other, and Ami wondered if they were outside like they normally were, if the moon would be reflected in their eyes. Relaxing at the thought, her eyes left his and roved around the wooden room, to the wall Kenshin had propped up against earlier in the day. She wanted to go up and lean against it, just as he had. She wondered what it felt like.

"Are you all right now, Kenshin?" she asked, still looking at the wall. She knew Kenshin was now looking at it with her.

"I had deep questions on my mind," he murmured. "Such things cannot be answered overnight."

He watched her back shiver, and she seemed to be hovering.

"However, I have come to a conclusion that will provide a temporary solution. The question may be brought up again in the future, and I will face it then. For now, I will continue to fight this way."

Ami's eyes widened. Then they softened, as she began to understand. "Souka…"

He was being so honest with her. Her heart pounded with pride that he was talking to her this way. _Today is a day for honesty_, she thought. Yes, it was. Today she had confided to a stranger, and now it was Kenshin's turn. _Let us really understand each other, today…_

She turned back to him, her eyes deep and understanding.

"You were smiling earlier. Maybe if I hadn't met someone in the marketplace, and talked to them, I would forget about it. But since I did, I won't. Are you really going to put that question away and continue?"

He did not answer right away, and Ami went on.

"You'll probably think about it more later and get confused. And you'll smile at me to make me feel better when I notice. But you know, Kenshin…"

She crept closer to him, stopping at the edge of her futon.

"In the end, I think, if you smile only when it's real and you do mean it, I'll be so much happier. I don't like being fooled. Even if I feel bad for you when you're upset, I think I like it better when I'm really seeing how you feel."

A silence followed after she finished speaking, and Ami felt a fear that she had shattered their relationship with her words.

"That way, I know when to back off and let you think," she whispered, trying to mend her words.

"People are always hiding things from others, Ami," he said finally.

Her breath caught at the absence of "chan". But his tone of voice… maybe it was not because of disapproval. Maybe he was just being more serious with her...

"A person would want to protect his or her loved ones from grief by hiding feelings. You do it as well."

Ami nodded silently. It was true.

"And so, Ami-chan," his voice becoming warmer, "that is a difficult request. But know that when I smile at you, it is because I care for you. I am just trying to spare you my burdens, not because I think you are incompetent at knowing myself."

"Souka," she said again, her voice filling with wonder. She slipped back into her futon.

He cares for me. He does, he does-! As she took a deep breath, she imagined her soul floating up to the night sky. But the ugly wooden ceiling blocked the image. 

An awkward, heavy silence settled in the room. It felt like something had been left unfinished.

"Kenshin," she asked, trying to break it.

"What is it?"

"Do you like inns?"

"Not very much," he said truthfully. They reminded him of the time he had lived at Kohagi-Ya Inn during his time as a hitokiri. Somehow, the atmosphere of the room right now felt like back then, too.

"Me neither. Let's leave, in the morning…"

"Aa."

"Early?"

"Yes."

"Thank you…"

-

A/N:

I kept writing this at different moods & times… I'm afraid that the style is kind of jerky, now. ((shrug)) But that's what I've _been_ doing, so I guess maybe I shouldn't worry…

Oh! School ends on Thursday! It might as well have ended last Friday, since this week we've just been watching movies in each period. On Sunday, I leave for a 5-week-long trip to China. We're not sure if I will be able to have internet access, so another long update lapse, sorry. However, I'm taking my laptop with me, so maybe I'll at least have a chapter ready to put up when I get back. So sayonara!

Replies:

**ZerodotJander:** Thank you very much for your compliments! I agree with you, some of the stories that I believe are really good don't get updated very often anymore. I'm glad this is to your liking.

**EEevee:** Frog skeletons, which reminds me of the frog dissection we just finished in Science. I felt sorry for the poor things, especially since the boys were running around going, "Look! I cut out the heart!" and waving it in people's faces. ;

**ShiroiMatsu:** "Chinese ppl all the way!" XD Lol, thank you. I'm glad you like this.

**the sacred night:** I'm sorry you didn't like it as much. Funny thing is, I only came up with the "action" type plots because I thought people would get _bored_ with all the emotional stuff! Thanks for sharing your opinion, now I feel I can skip doing some plots and not feel afraid I'm disappointing everybody.

**AnimeAmba:** Yes, Ami's a very angsty girl. In the end though, I think it will get better for her. (When I say in the end, that's a looong time from now. Geez, I'm afraid since this is developing so slowly I'll bore everyone before it's finished.) I didn't use your title suggestion because I thought it might be a title I might use later on for another chapter. I finally changed it, though. Now it's "Advice Disregarded". Good about Winter's Thaw.

**Meiharu:** Lol, you guys. XD "What were you going to do?! Practice your weird voodoo rituals on him??" ((That part cracked me up)).

**Haruko:** I noticed how I've gotten better too. I actually mentioned you and your review in my English final (hope you don't mind). We were supposed to write an essay about how we've changed academically, and I wrote about writing at ff.net and how I've progressed. I'm sorry you feel the story is dragging. I _do_ know how it's going to end and everything, but I guess I just wanted Ami to have more time with Kenshin before the big split. (Ack, spoiler. But from the summary it's predictable, so...) I'm sort of upset with the whole "split" thing now, though. That happens a lot in RK stories, Kenshin leaving someone and they come back later. So now I feel the plot is just "typical" and unoriginal. But I can't change it, either. ;

**MissBehavin:** Ami will have to deal with who "Battousai" is later on, but Hiro will be something she keeps to herself. She will talk about it with someone later though, and it won't be Kenshin… many people seem to be interested about how Ami will feel about Kenshin's past. I'm thinking I should try and speed their "quality time" together up a bit so I can get to that sooner, what do you think? And just so you know, if I _do_ do that, the story will still be long, so if not wanting it to end faster is a factor of your choice you can forget that. (Unless you'd like for it to end. :P)

**Random Reader:** I thank you very much for your interest in Ami and the story. When I do come to that part of the story, I hope you will be satisfied with her reactions. Again, thank you for your interests and I hope you will enjoy the rest to come.


	16. Around Kyoto

Disclaimer: I DO own Rurouni Kenshin!! I have Volumes 1,3,& 5 in my closet!

Author's Notes: This was absoloutely terrible. I haven't updated for over 1/2 a year. I am totally unworthy. Most of the people who were constant reviewers before... I can't really tell, of course, but I can guess you've moved on to bigger and better things... (have you left the fanfiction realm?). And those that are still here, don't force yourselves to read if you've lost interest. It was all my fault.

I only started writing this chapter again when I really considered leaving it dead. I couldn't bear to do that, so I started writing again. More on this is at my profile page, I'm taking up too much space here. This is already about 8 pages long on m. word, with a font of 10. I wanted to do that and make the chapter sort of like "Days: Umbrella" so that you'd get into the whole Ami-Kenshin atmosphere/relationship again. Now I wonder if that was a bad idea, making it that long... if it is, you can always read part of it now, and the rest later.

Well, I hope you can enjoy, anyway. (sigh)

* * *

Around Kyoto

Kenshin was the most special thing in the world to her. She didn't question her worship of him; she wasn't even conscious that she was. All that she knew and felt was that Kenshin was the center of everything. He was the best and deserved the best; she would never make trouble for him and would always obey him diligently.

But it confused Ami sometimes, too. On some days, she didn't know if she was affected by the weather, or just happened to be in a good mood; she would be out going, loud, full of grins and compliments and letting Kenshin know that she was happy, happy to be with him. And on others, she was quiet and brooding, admiring him in her own gentle way. And then, at those rare, certain times, she would feel unsatisfied, as if there were something missing. But what was it? Was it her brother, Hiro, who was hopefully resting peacefully somewhere far across the country? Was it the constant wandering?

If it were the last, she'd have to get used to it, she thought. If Kenshin wanted to keep going, so would she. This was what he wanted to do. Or was it?

"You never get tired of it, wandering?" she finally asked one day, hesitating because she was afraid he'd think that _she_ was tired of it, even if she was, a few times.

He looked at her. They were seated under the shade of a huge tree. "It's not a question of how I feel about it. It's something I have to do. To travel from place to place, meeting the people, seeing how they live their lives and their sufferings… to try, if I can, to ease their burdens. It's what I've been wanting to do since I was a child."

Ami could barely nod, her heart ablaze with compassion. He had spoken with a final tone, with a tinge of sadness. And he was pure, so heroic and noble. It was an admirable life's work, long and hard and lonesome. That was why she was going to help him as much as she could. It was a long answer, to her seemingly simple question, but she was glad, for every thought or feeling revealed from him let him be more known to her, yet more mysterious at the same time.

--

To help people, to let them live out their lives peacefully. It's what I've wanted to do since I was a child, studying under Shishou. I tried to make it a reality by participating in the Bakumatsu, by fighting for the commoner's happiness. But I stole more than what was given in the end. I stole Tomoe's happiness, and countless others. Living those months with her showed me what to fight for; that peace… I thought I found the answer, but her death changed that. I found the answer: then why am I still searching? A small girl's happiness, Ami's happiness. Is that not something to fight for? Why do I wander, Ami-chan? I'm still searching.

_I'm sorry for dragging you needlessly with me. But it's what you want, isn't it…? _Kenshin looked down at her, curled up at his side, the quarter moon hidden above them. She usually did not sleep so close to him, but they had sat exceptionally close together, and she had eased down and slept where she was. It was also a cool night. He tugged the kimono Ami was using as a blanket higher, up to her chin, the back of his hand touching her cheek. She stirred and curled more tightly around herself.

Kenshin smiled. _A waste of a perfectly good kimono robe… we could have sold it to get something more practical, but a gift from good friends should not be disregarded so easily… _He sobered. The Kamashi family would have gladly taken Ami in, he knew. It had broken Sachi's heart, her inability to have children worsening the matter. The well-meaning couple could take in an orphan, but it wouldn't be the same as having Ami…

The rurouni tilted his head back against the tree that they were against, running his fingers idly through Ami's long dark hair. _How long has it been? A few months now… but somehow, it feels like more. Is it like that for her too?_ _But Ami is young, and has her whole life waiting for her… and at that time of her life, she certainly won't be still wandering around with me… She'll look back one day at this small portion of her childhood and recall fond memories…_

Yes, he knew, she couldn't stay with him forever. The thought troubled him both ways: when she would leave, and how long she would stay with him. He couldn't keep her forever. It wasn't right. She would grow, mature… and maybe… _But it would be hard for her to fall in love and settle down if we keep moving. I can't keep her. _It hurt him, but he knew what he needed to do. But for now, they could be together. She was only 10… quite a few more years before being considered a young woman. _And a year is a very long time… and all this has happened only in a month's span…just a month… _Which led his tired thoughts back into the cycle all over again, until he finally fell asleep, his hand resting on the girl's shoulder.

--

When Ami awoke, she kept her eyes tightly squeezed shut, because something was crawling across her shoulder. It wasn't Kenshin's hand, for sure, which she had felt and seen when she woke up briefly in the middle of the night. There had been crickets chirping, and she had watched him breathe for a while, his head bowed, his chin almost touching his chest. She had gone back to sleep with warm feelings in her chest, but not before, with much hesitancy, turning her head slightly to rub her cheek against his arm, and then pressing her lips timidly against his wrist, not even herself knowing what she was doing. No, the tingling on her shoulder was not Kenshin's hand, because she could hear him up and awake above her.

She curled into a ball slowly, and then in one quick movement, sprang up and batted away whatever was on her shoulder with a small squeal. A spider clung to her hand by its web but quickly dislodged itself and crept away over the leaves and grass on the ground.

"Oro?"

Ami looked up from the ground, cheeks pink. Her eyes couldn't help but flicker down to his left wrist in remembrance of how she had rubbed against it in the darkness of the night, like a cat against a petting hand. "K-kuno," she stuttered, her first words of the morning. She pointed in the general direction where it had been headed, but it was long gone.

"Ah," he said, understanding, and handed her some breakfast. He didn't tell her, but he had spotted a few bugs crawling upon her before once or twice while she slept; it was something that couldn't be avoided when sleeping on the ground. He had brushed them off of her then, and now he kept in mind to keep doing so.

He watched Ami eat her food with one hand and squish her folded kimono robe into her pack with the other. He was already set to go, but didn't mind to wait at all. He watched her sling the pack over her shoulder and shift, reaching up into the air with her arms, stretching till she was standing on her toes. The crushed grass underneath her sandals rose up feebly and she stepped to the side, spinning a little, watching him expectantly to start. Kenshin smiled a little at this. He walked over past the grass to the borderline of path and wildlife and stepped over onto the road. Then he began to walk, hearing the familiar sound of the scuffing of his sandals against the dirt and Ami's following.

There was one place that he steered clear from in all his years of traveling. It was a large city, where he had spent at least six years of his life. Kenshin didn't want to say that he was afraid of the place, but going back would bring back memories he had tried to put behind him, and maybe even familiar faces. He wouldn't want to bump into his shishou, and also… it was the burial place of his wife.

The city was Kyoto. They were coming closer to it with every step.

--

"Ami-chan." His voice was low and gentle.

She finished taking her steps and then stopped and turned around to look at him, ignoring the other people passing by. The road had gotten wider and smoother, with more travelers. It must lead to a popular city, she had guessed. And as more and more people passed them, Ami began to walk side by side with Kenshin for security. She hadn't sensed anything right away, but after quite a while she realized that Kenshin didn't seem to be his usual self. He wasn't holding himself up right, but bowing his head a little so that his hair fell and covered his face.

Now that he spoke to her, she looked at him, worried with concern. "Yes?"

"I… What do you say about taking the mountain route?"

She tugged on her hair uncertainly, shifting, twirling it around her finger. "A mountain route?" _Where? Why?_ She left those words unsaid, not wanting to pester him with questions, choosing to let him reveal whatever he wanted. She became attentive and stood still when he laid a hand on her shoulder, leaning to her ear and speaking softly.

"There's a city ahead that I would not like to return to. I'm almost certain that any confrontation there would not be a good one." He stood up straighter now, looking past her to where the said city laid, his eyes narrowing seriously, calculating. A puff of air escaped his lips and he relaxed, the tension in his gaze diminishing, and he turned back to look her straight in the eyes. Ami made sure not to turn away in embarrassment and met his stare in a serious manner. "If you don't mind, I'd like to take the mountain pass around Kyoto."

_Kyoto!_ Ami did not know much, but she recognized the name of the great city that used to be the capital of Japan, and how the capital had changed to another city, Edo, she tried to remember. She didn't care much about that; her mind immediately focused on the questions that centered directly on Kenshin. _Kyoto? What did Kenshin have to do with Kyoto? Why doesn't he like Kyoto? He's been there before, for how long? _The questions stacked upon each other rapidly, but on the outside, she answered earnestly, "I don't mind taking the mountain pass. I don't want to go anywhere you don't like."

He smiled lightly at her answer and patted her on the head. Ami tilted her head back to look at him, and his hand slid off. She smiled at him too, pleased that she had made him happy. They started walking again, on the same road, and Ami supposed the mountain pass must be further ahead. But…

When they came to the crossroads, and Kenshin led her down another trail, curiosity and regret entered Ami's heart. _Kenshin knows this area… and he doesn't want to go back to Kyoto. Why is he avoiding it? What happened there? Why would anyone confront him there? I want to know… I want to go to Kyoto. I want to find out. Someday. _

That someday, she would go to Kyoto by herself. She would ask around, and find out her answers. She'd find out all the answers she needed to know, and then she'd show Kenshin that he shouldn't have worried about telling her them at all. She could take anything he told her. She would take in all the secrets and sins and never breathe a word, not ever. This vision made her breath quicken, her hands wringing together as she followed him up the mountain pass. _Kenshin can trust me. I'm the only one Kenshin can trust, I'm the best._

_I want to know everything about him. Everything. Only me. His._

That someday was not today. But now that Ami had it all planned, it made it easier to walk away from Kyoto, the place of Kenshin's past. If only she had been with him then. If only she had been with him her entire life. She would have known everything about him.

_I'm going to_, Ami promised herself. _I'll know it all someday. Not now, but someday._

* * *

His red hair, the cross-shaped scar. These were the things that pointed out the Hitokiri Battousai, and unfortunately, they were always out in the open. Another sign would be his sword skills, but he didn't show them unless there was trouble. He remembered the day they met Domon and how the thief had knocked aside people, including Ami. He remembered her cry of surprise. He had put a hand against her back quickly, pushing her up straight again, taking less than a second and then he was off and halted the thief in his tracks with his sword. And then Ami… oh, what had she said? 

_"You're fast!"_

He had used speed that was said to match a god's, and so her comment, so full of naïveté, made Kenshin smile. He had displayed his "powers" out in the open, and if a skilled warrior had seen, he would have know that Kenshin was not as low as he seemed. Kenshin did not bother to tone down his skills, excluding the sakabatou. He didn't see any point in it; he had wanted to learn swordsmanship because he wanted to use that power to help others. Why deform those skills when they were called out to help? So yes, he used his speed to stop something as trivial as a thief, though he would have gone much faster if it had been a real opponent. However, "real opponents", fighters from the Bakumatsu like the Shinsen-gumi, for example, were rare, but the hate for Battousai was common enough to be careful.

His deep thoughts receded and he heard the footsteps of the girl behind him more clearly. He wondered if Ami had ever heard of Battousai. He hoped not. The stories they told about him were exaggerated, turning him into a demon. But the killing part was true enough. So many men had died by his sword, and for quite a time until Tomoe came, they hadn't really played upon his conscience, the weight of his actions hidden inside and nameless.

Ami thought he was pure. He knew enough to know that. He wasn't sure what would be worse; to let the pure, light image of him in her remain, or to shatter it with the truth. He didn't want to tell her. Maybe, in time, he'd be able to rise up to that furnished image of himself, and it would at least become partly true. For truth, he was no longer Battousai. He was _rurouni_, and she along with him.

_Wandering does get a little tiring… but she gives me something to focus on. The burden is a little lifted, with her presence…_

He turned on impulse to look at her, smiling. She had been staring at him; she blinked, a blush spreading over her face but she didn't lose time in smiling happily back at him.

"Let's… you want to take a break?"

They had been walking upwards; it was a trail that led into the mountains, after all.

"That sounds good," Kenshin said. He smiled faintly at her and led her off the road to search for a good spot.

They ended up staying at the spot for overnight. They found a nice area where they rested, Ami exploring. When light fell, she took out the pot that she had bought from the previous town. She allowed herself to remember a little of the visit.

_I was really worried… but it all worked out fine, anyway. Kenshin's okay… and he hasn't changed to being broody even though we're near Kyoto. It's all good…_

Her fingers trailed around the pot's interior, feeling the cool smooth metal. She still hadn't done anything with it yet. She breathed in deeply, knocking the pot's base gently against the ground. There was a small clanging sound as it struck against a rock.

She had nothing to put in it…

_I'm so foolish. It was just a half-baked idea…_

But the image came back to her, enticing. What if she woke before him, vegetables in, water boiling, and he woke to the aroma of a good soup? He'd rise, blinking away sleep… what if he _yawned_? A giggle escaped her and she smiled softly, fond of the made-up scenario. Yes, he would rise, and she'd smile at him, still stirring.

_"Almost done," she said to him, grinning fondly. "One second!"_

_Suddenly, they were indoors. The wood used in the foundation was dark and light brown, mix matched, showing that it came from different sources of trees. Light shown through the open window, particles of dust visible. It half reminded her of a home from long ago, a small shack, really… this house was much finer and larger, just right for its two occupants._

_Ami ran to the cupboards and took some bowls and chopsticks out. The bowls had lovely designs, like the wares she had seen in merchants' stalls. The chopsticks were wooden and smooth, not a splinter sticking out anywhere. They were quite nice- she must have made them. Yes, she did, and Kenshin knew it, and as he received his set from her he smiled._

_Holding her sleeve back with one hand, she ladled out the steaming soup into his bowl professionally, not spilling a precious drop._

_"Here," she said. He took the bowl into his hands, it warming him. She suddenly wondered whether his fingers were cold._

_"It's a nice day today, right?" she asked cautiously._

_"It is," he said pleasantly, giving his head a little shake to toss back his high ponytail. The red strands had fallen forward. She didn't say anything more but sighed, watching him contentedly. She scanned his face with her light eyes, loving him and every feature._

_It's like this: we just live here together. I do all the normal chores that a girl does, but Kenshin likes to help me because that's the way he is. I don't want him to, though. He should go out and enjoy himself. I'll make the house clean. I'll cook for him. I'll take care of everything for him, like a servant. Like some sort of housewife-_

Her eyes widened and the pot dropped from her hand. She had been in the same stooped over position since the daydream started, but now she sat on the ground, scrunching up, her arms around her knees. _I…_

She was suddenly, irationallyscared of herself. Without knowing why, she struggled to remember her past. It frightened her even more that for a while still, because for a moment all she could think of was Kenshin, but she finally returned to the time before him, with her brother. Older, tall, with dark brown hair that appeared light in the sunshine. Hiro, with the cool blue eyes.

"Hiro," she whimpered. She said it over and over to remember what it felt like to say his name.

_Hiro! Look at me!_

_Hiro, over here! Do you see?_

_Hiro, do you think…_

"Hiro, you were the best brother," she said in a hushed voice.

_You took care of me. I love you._

But Hiro had been like a shadow. He was always there for her, but she had been oblivious, hadn't she? Playing in the woods, dancing around the small garden out front. They hadn't talked about anything like their parents, the world… but he answered her questions. He taught her how to grow plants. He didn't yell or lay a hand on her when she did something wrong, but showed her again with patience, this time holding her hand and guiding her step by step.

Maybe it wasn't patience… maybe he just felt nothing, at all. What had been wrong with him? Up until she had met Kenshin, she hadn't thought there _was_ anything different about him. Hiro was Hiro, and Ami was Ami. That's how it is, how it still is. It was because of Kenshin, wonderful, brilliant Kenshin, that she started to doubt. She couldn't bear to compare the two who had taken cared of her.

They were so different…

They would've gotten along, she was sure. Not friends, but not enemies. Hiro had no enemies. It was just him and her…

_Wrong._

She remembered fire. She remembered a wooden toy animal burning up. She remembered yells and hateful curses. She remembered Takaru Konure. An old woman, who had been her closest neighbor back then, whom she met after Hiro had gone away, to war.

Hiro had made enemies. Because they couldn't get to him, they came after Ami and burned down her house. But Hiro was safe, somewhere. Those people, that mother and son… they were just so angry, they had to say that. They had to think that Hiro was dead, even though he wasn't.

And then suddenly, she knew. She understood, and she couldn't believe how stupid she had been.

Kenshin had been in the war. He carried a sword. Even on Hiro, Ami had never seen a weapon like that.

Because it was war, Kenshin had killed people. And because of that, he had made enemies, just like her brother had, even though it wasn't his fault, it was only war…

Why was there war?

Ami wished she could've asked Hiro that, before their final good-bye… How did it start? Why did it start? Why would anyone want to start a killing spree like that? She would've asked him so many questions that he couldn't have left, he had to spend so much time answering them all…

She suddenly couldn't stand it anymore. She had to stop thinking. Hiro was safe somewhere. The only thing important to remember was the conclusion, why Kenshin didn't want to, couldn't go to Kyoto.

_He killed people, and he made enemies. People want… how could they want to harm him…? Look at him! He's so…_

She grasped the pot firmly and stood up tall. It was dark now. The moon was high. Its whiteness strengthened her somehow.

"Kenshin," she breathed, and began to walk back towards camp.

_I won't ever go to Kyoto. I don't want to go to a stinky city that wants to hurt Kenshin. But then, maybe I will… I'll get back at them._

She snorted, her dislike growing. All the thoughts she had had during the last quarter of an hour faded into this, a mere prejudice against Kyoto. When she stepped into camp, the fire was burning and Kenshin got to his feet. He had been resting against a tree trunk.

"Where were you?" he asked.

She smiled abashedly, shrugging a little, swinging her arms back and forth, the pot obvious in her hand. "I thought about making you something. But we don't really have anything…"

Kenshin smiled, a little confused. "That's right. I wasn't sure when you wanted to use that thing. But I'm sure we can get vegetables, even on this trail."

_We're not too high up. Kyoto must have some food sources, farms, outside the city. There are those, and food vendors, perhaps._

He sighed.

"Mm?" she asked, fidgeting. She was regaining her old shyness. He smiled at that.

"I was thinking, we could always resort to mushrooms," he said jokingly.

"Mushroom soup." She said thoughtfully. She made a face. "Mushrooms aren't too tasty. It won't taste too good."

He laughed, and she blushed faintly.

She shoved the pot back into her pack and came to sit down next to him. They ate some rice balls, hard due to being cold, and then she got out her kimono robes to sleep upon and use as blankets. He watched her fall asleep. When her breathing was soft and steady, he unsheathed his sakabatou.

Kyoto… is bringing up memories, for me. Not all of them are about the dark alleys with blood.

He sheathed the sword with a short click. _I'm remembering my Shishou, and how it was to live with him on the mountainside. He lived on one of the mountains surrounding Kyoto, but it's not this one. With luck, I won't run in to him unless he suddenly migrated over here… _

His face turned sour, imagining what his Shishou would do if he found him and Ami. It would be awful for both him and the girl. Hiko picked on him relentlessly, and Ami would be shocked. Kenshin's head nodded to the side and he supported it with his hand, elbow resting on his drawn up knee. He could only imagine how Ami would respond to him being called a baka deshi. A wry grin spread upon his face at the thought, but it went as quickly as it came.

_Shishou definitely knows what happened during the Bakumatsu. The famed Battousai could be none other than his baka deshi, using the Hiten Mitsurugi for assigned murders, a pawn, just like he said I would be. He knew all, in the end. If I had done what he said and stayed and finished out my training… now I can't even be called a Hiten Mitsurugi master, though I don't want no less deserve the title after what I've done with the style..._

He let the sword prop up against his shoulder and slowly fell asleep, seeing the flickering flames through his closing eyes and the form next to it that was Ami.

* * *

A/N: 

Yes, it was long and terrible.I don't know whether I'll be able to update again after this soon, or whether I'll fall back into a long period of not updating again. But I know I still want to finish the story... I wanted to say thank you to everyone who reviewed last chapter, though. It was great to see nice comments like that, though I pretty much failed everyone in the end. See ya, hopefully.


	17. The Cliff

Disclaimer: I DO own Rurouni Kenshin! I have Volumes 1,3, 5, & 10 in my closet!

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The Cliff

Ami woke up slowly. Uncurling and rolling to lie on her back, she propped a hand over her eyes, squinting up at the sky. There was a continuous rustle of leaves from the soft breeze, and as the sunlight peered through the interchanging gaps between foliage, she found it nice to listen to. Leaves flickered from dark green to light, because of the sun. Her eyes adjusting, she took away her hand and intertwined her fingers with a growth of grass, tugging on the tuft absentmindedly.

She smiled faintly, content, and then turned her head to the side to look for Kenshin, expecting to perhaps see him still resting against the tree. He wasn't there. She blinked slowly in detached surprise, still in a stupor, and raised herself up off the ground, brushing the dirt off her clothes, gathering up the kimono that she had used as bedding. She stood, the bundle in her arms, looking around. She could see the ashes from their campfire, Kenshin and her pack lying to the side, but the clearing was truly empty of his presence.

Tinges of worry crept upon her, and she shook the kimono and folded them up into her pack. She stood in the camp space uncertainly, still scanning the area as if she might have overlooked Kenshin and that he was really here. Now sure that he really wasn't, she walked slowly away from the site.

"Kenshin," she said, calling out so softly that it sounded like a whisper. With no answer except for the rustling of trees, a prickly feeling began on her neck. Her shoulders raised and she stood still, trying to figure out why Kenshin had gone. The only excuses she could come up with were that maybe he went out to relieve himself, or to search for water to bathe. Her cheeks burned, because she didn't really believe her excuses, but if he _was_ doing something private and she kept looking for him and found him… it wasn't a scenario she wanted to happen. Still hesitant, she gave the area another tentative scan, and then crept back to camp.

She waited for three minutes until setting out to search for him again.

As she walked further and further away from camp, she wondered if she was being foolish. Perhaps Kenshin had just wanted some time on his own. At first, she called out his name to let him know that she was coming for him, but because of this thought, she fell silent, deciding that if she found him and there was no problem, she'd creep away as silently as she came and wait back at camp to let him finish whatever he was doing.

Just as she recalled that Kenshin's sakabatou had not been left at the site, she heard him. She heard the trampling of leaves, and the faint whooshes of wind that was made by a sword swinging. She froze for a second, trying to figure out where the noise was coming from, and then, heart pounding, she crept as quietly as she could to where he was, bending down to stay hidden.

Once she got over the initial shock, she thought him to be beautiful.

The sakabatou was drawn, a silver flash that's movement was too hard to follow with her untrained eyes. She could see the force in his lithe form, lunging, thrusting a stroke, red hair trailing behind him- a jerk, and then the movement reversed, he was leaping back from an invisible enemy.

Suddenly, he jumped.

She had never seen anything like it. He hadn't even needed to crouch down for the spring, or if he had, she hadn't seen it. He was up in the air, yelling as he brought his sword down, and the whole world seemed to spin. Fallen leaves on the ground blew away from him on the impact as he connected to the ground. Ami stayed in her crouched position, eyes wide, unmoving as the leaves reached her and flew past.

She didn't imagine men falling from his attacks, blood flying. All she could see was the perfected beauty… the swiftness, how his body twisted and turned to perform each move, how each stroke was so powerful and deadly and some she could barely see… A tremor ran through her body as he yelled a battle cry that made her heart pound so hard that she could feel it in her ears. And then suddenly, she realized that she was trembling.

She didn't quite know why.

She watched on, and he stole her breath. Small blots of shadows and light danced over him as the wind blew, shaking the leaves above. He sheathed the sakabatou, and then drew it again, hard. The sharp zinging sound snapped at her senses. She could see how his body glistened with sweat, how narrowed his eyes were with deadly concentration.

_I never saw…_

"HYOH!" A sharp cry. The sword pounded down into the earth, creating a shock.

_I never knew that he…_

"Oh…" she breathed. Suddenly, she found she couldn't watch any longer. She bowed down low on the ground from her hiding place, extending her arms forward reverently, slowly, before clasping her hands together in front of her, in the position of a bow.

_I knew Kenshin was a swordsman… I had no doubt that he was one of the best…but I've never seen a swordsman at work like this, and now I can truly appreciate…_

She remembered how he had crashed into the house to rescue her the day they met, how he had knocked that bear of a man unconscious. She remembered his speed when he stopped the thief that had stolen Domon's money pouch and the three that he stopped without laying a finger on them. For the first time, Ami truly realized how great he was, the hidden power inside the smiling, kind man who took care of her. She felt as if she had somehow been ungrateful to him in her ignorance.

_I never knew. He's so skilled, talented, something truly special. I have to serve him better than I have been. He's even more extraordinary than I thought, and I've got to make it up to him, for letting **me** be the one to stay beside him… The situation I'm in… the life I'm living right now… it's better than I could have ever imagined, living with someone like Himura Kenshin._

She heard the steady crunch of footsteps, and knew Kenshin had discovered her. The crackle grew louder and then stopped, and she knew that he was standing in front of her, separated by the plant growth that had served to cover her. Without looking up, Ami knew that he was staring down at her.

She stayed in her bowed position and didn't look up during the silence, still paying him reverence though he did not know of her intention. Finally, she unclasped her hands and pushed herself off the ground, brushing off her knees before tilting her head up to face him. The hair fell from her face to reveal a regretful smile.

"I'm sorry," she said, "for spying on you."

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Kenshin looked down at Ami speechlessly, listening as she explained to him why she had gone out looking for him, asking again for forgiveness. Her smile was pure, with a tinge of embarrassment for being caught like this.

He had been so caught up in his exercise that he hadn't noticed her presence until the sound of a breathy gasp. He had lowered his hands, lowered his sword, and walked over to the sound and peered over the tall grass to see her, bent down with her arms out to him as if he were a kami.

His first thought was that maybe she was afraid. Her body was still, stiffened. When he thought of the possibility that she was afraid of him, he felt himself become cold. What had gone through her mind as she watched him? Surely, that he was no ordinary man. Did she suspect him for what he was? He had been one of the greatest warriors from the Bakumatsu, now under the guise of a harmless vagabond.

But once she tilted her face up at him, revealing that smile, his fear vanished. When her eyes opened to look at him, they were filled with the same love as always, shining. She finished talking, eyeing him, blushing.

"That was really…" her voice trailed off, but he could hear the wonderment in her voice. She looked away and then looked back at him again, raising a hand hesitantly. "You look tired…"

Her fingertips brushed against his bangs, and then she put her palm to his skin, wiping away the sweat from his forehead. Kenshin took a breath and gently grasped her wrist as she drew her hand away, bringing it down so that he could look her in the eyes.

"Were you scared?" he asked.

Her lips parted and red painted her cheeks, staring at him. Her wrist was warm in his hand, and he felt her pulse quicken slightly.

"No," Ami said. She smiled again, more fumblingly. "I thought… that you looked really… _amazing_."

Kenshin suddenly smiled, a warm feeling in his heart. He let go of her wrist and stepped over the tall grass, and they began to walk back to camp, falling into step beside each other naturally.

On their way back, Ami grew bolder, and with eyes shining she complimented him over and over again, excitement in her voice as she described to him how he looked as he had done his kata. Her eyes kept flickering to his sweat, and her hands wavered as if she wanted to reach out and wipe some away again, a movement that Kenshin had thought was surprisingly bold of her.

"What was it?" she finally asked, breathless.

"Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu," he said smoothly.

"Hiten…" she started to repeat, and then stopped. Her eyes turned up to his. "So it's a special style?"

"You can say that. Only one other man I know besides myself knows the technique, and he's the one who trained me."

Her eyes rounded. "Wow." And then, mostly to herself: "It really is a special style then, if only two men…"

She was quiet for a moment, and it seemed like she was going to let the subject drop, but then she piped up again.

"Have you ever… done this before, since we met? While I was sleeping?"

Kenshin shook his head. "I don't need to full-out practice like that too often."

"Ah…" her eyes roved over him again. "You really… it looks like a lot of work."

Then she dashed forward. He follows her path with surprised eyes. Their camp was just up ahead. She took cloth from her pack and wetted it with her water pouch, and spun around to await him. He stepped into the clearing and she held out the wet cloth as an offering.

"Here," she said hesitantly. And then she stepped forward to wipe his forehead again. Kenshin sighed and relaxed, closing his eyes as the damp cloth moved comfortably across his skin. Being coddled like this by Ami was something he was soon becoming used to. Having her dote over him made him feel strange, but also good to be cared for so much. He couldn't help but wonder if she'd keep on this attitude to him if she weren't so naïve.

Swordsmanship teaches one how to kill. If Ami had realized this as she watched him and thought of how many men he could've felled with each swing… but no. She saw the grace and precision instead, and Kenshin was glad for that. Kenjutsu was something to be enjoyed, when not used for murder…

_Have you heard of me, Ami-chan? The infamous Hitokiri that prowled the streets of Kyoto, using swords as claws to rip the flesh of men? Do you know what they call me? Have any stories they told imbedded fear of Hitokiri Battousai in you?_

_And if you have… look what you're doing, Ami-chan. I feel the cool of the cloth wiping across my skin. I can feel the pressure of your hand behind it. I can sense your agitation, your wonder, I can guess the pulse of your wildly beating heart. And at times like these, I feel complete faith in you, that if you learned the truth, you would accept me anyhow… the man you know is not the hitokiri. If the world could see me like that…_

A journey of redemption. Even Ami, who he kept so many secrets from, knew that much about him. She barely knew anything of his past, and yet she tread so carefully on the subject. Kenshin grasped her hand gently, stopping her ministrations and opened his eyes. Soft lavender met frightened amber, with flecks of dancing, questioning gold.

"Thank you. That's enough now," he told her, taking the cloth from her. Ami nodded, and watching as Kenshin wiped the back of his neck.

_Such adoration…I have to try and be worthy of that. I will protect you, until the ones who chase me come. And then, perhaps… I'll leave you and you won't ever have to know about Battousai. Retain your innocence and only remember me as I am **now**…_

The sweat had dried. They had delayed long enough.

_Ikuzo!_

The left the grove and climbed up the path, trudging up the yellow dust of the mountain.

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_I have every feature of you memorized,_

_The shades of your hair, those gentle eyes-_

_But if someone asked me to describe you,_

_I don't think I would be able to start._

When we travel like this, my mind wanders.

We pass other travelers, shop stalls, goat herders. The road is built to make going across the mountain easier, but I like the sensation of climbing higher and higher. The mountain is beautiful, and I tell you so.

_-'I used to live on one of these mountains, surrounding Kyoto,' is the unspoken thought in Kenshin's mind. Instead he nods and agrees with her.-_

There were temples built here, you told me. Tourists make the climb to see them, and pray. As we choose a different path, we are more alone. From the stalls, we bought vegetables. It's nerve wracking, putting together soup when there are so little supplies, let alone spices. But I told you I wanted to do this myself, a gift from me to you, and so you stood away, leaning against a tree, thinking thoughts I wanted to know but didn't want to pester you by asking. When I watched the vegetables being cooked in the pot, hanging over the fire, I realized we didn't even have separate bowls, and that we would both have to eat out of the pot.

There must be some decency in this meal, I had thought, and I scavenged quickly for some wood, and prepared a set of chopsticks for us both. I made sure yours had no splinters, and were even.

_-Your face was so feverish, trying your best to prepare an excellent meal from what little we have…I wish I could help you and that you wouldn't tire yourself over such a insignificant thing, Ami-chan…however, all I could do was compliment you as we ate, and it seemed to be enough.-_

You smiled at me and thanked me for my hard work. We ate, talked, and laughed as we finished it together. You, who is always so understanding, I don't know whether or not you sense all of my feelings. That I would do this every day, if it wouldn't take up such time and money. It's to thank you over and over again for letting me be with you. My life is so happy being beside you, just walking with you and watching you. How many girls would want to take my place? I've got to be the best for you. My heart soars watching you do the simplest of things.

At night, I've fallen into habit of sleeping near you, as you rested your back against the tree.

_-"Doesn't it hurt your back?" you asked me sometimes, as we stared into the fire, thinking and waiting for sleep to claim us._

_"If you ever want to sleep on the ground, I could use my clothes and make you a good bed."_

_"Have you always slept like that?_

_Not always, Ami-chan. Thank you for your concern… but what I don't tell you is that I like sleeping up because it's easier for me to watch you. It may seem strange, but I enjoy watching you, my young charge, slowly succumb to sleep. Seeing your soft, slumbering face as the last thing of the day seems to make my own sleep more pleasant.-_

I used to not sleep close to you, because I was worried of how you would take it if I set up my sleeping space next to you. But we've fallen into that, lately. Sometimes, I'm afraid if I'll do embarrassing things as I sleep, like drooling or waking you up.

_-Did you know you murmur in your sleep, sometimes, Ami-chan? Your lips move, inaudibly, and when you stop you smile softly, dreaming good dreams. But sometimes, I can hear the words you speak. "Ken…"-_

"…shin" I say, spreading out my kimono for you, over the grass. "Do you… do you know how many layers you want?"

We've camped in a spot where there is no old, large tree for you to rest your back comfortably against. You're going to sleep on the ground tonight, with me. I'm willing to give you all the robes to make you a comfortable sleeping spot, and I may sleep on the grass itself. But it won't come to that, I know.

"That's good enough," Kenshin tells me, waving the next robe away. "Keep some for yourself, Ami-chan," he chides.

I nod obediently, and after I finish setting up our bedding, I stand beside mine and look down at my work. In particular, I wonder about the space between our beds. My cheeks burn warm as I look down, and I feel tense in my chest. Will Kenshin mind? Are we too close to each other? I hope he doesn't think anything of it, because I had made it on purpose, that we wouldn't be too far from each other. My skin tingles with fear. Oh, I hope that he won't think of it. I just wanted to look at him, closely…

Kenshin gets up from his kneeling position by the fire. He had been making sure that it wouldn't spread by sealing it off with stones. He's probably double checking it because he'll be sleeping on the ground also tonight and won't be able to see it as well as when he sleeps sitting up…

When he turns around so that he's facing me, I quickly remove my sandals, brush my clothes down slightly, and climb onto the robe, trying not to fidget. I can't look at him anymore. I know my face is burning and so I lie on my stomach to hide my face, but I know that Kenshin knows that's not how I usually sleep, so he probably knows I'm nervous.

I'm propped up on my forearms, looking down with my hair hiding my face. I listen for him. I hear the scuff of his sandals, him sitting down, and then him taking them off. I can hear the rustle of his clothing, too.

I think I'm going to burst. I was so stupid for manipulating the space so that we'd be a little closer than natural. If I looked at Kenshin, he'd somehow _know_ what I had done and this would never ever happen again and I just ruined it all-!

"Oyasumi, Ami-chan."

My heart stops. That pause helps to slow the beating down, but not by much. I wait a second before peeking at him slightly. He's lying down, his head turned to the left to look at me. He undid his topknot, too, so his long red hair is sprawled down underneath his head. His bangs lie against his face, and his eyes are so bright, reflecting the light of the night.

"Good night," I whisper back, entranced. His lips curve up in a small smile, and then he turns back to face the sky, eyes closed.

The pace of my heart rises again as I look at him. I let myself watch him for a long time. I lie on my side, watching the rise and fall of his chest, memorizing his sleeping face. My nervousness melted away into a comfortable feeling, as I watched Kenshin sleep. After a while, being beside him like this felt so natural. Finally, my eyelids feeling heavy, I turn to lie on my back and let them fall shut. I'm smiling.

"Kenshin…" I breathe so quietly that my lips form his name and barely any noise escapes them. Saying his name makes me feel even more at peace, and I can see his image in my mind. I'll have good dreams, maybe, I think before I fall asleep.

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"I have something to show you," Kenshin tells her.

He reaches back and grabs her hand, leading her off the path. Ami follows, loving the feel of their hands holding, growing excitement mounting her as she wonders what Kenshin wants to show her. What could be…?

They slow to a stop, standing side by side.

"You wondered how high we were," he tells her. He smiles. "This should give you some idea. But even here, we're not seeing all the way down…"

At his words, Ami walks forward, still holding onto his hand. In fact, his hand tightens as she nears the edge, walking over worn yellow stone.

"_Oh_," she breathes, looking down. They're on the edge of a cliff, and the bottom is so far below…

She laughs suddenly, out of wonder and fear, nearing the edge as far as she dares. She resists the urge to get upon her knees and crawl. She takes a few steps back and turns to look at him. "Hold on to me?"

Her gaze turns to the edge again, ensnared by the sight. It was beautiful beyond imagining. The drop was so sheer, and they were so high up. Perhaps she should've felt as if she had conquered the mountain, being so high, but instead she felt small at the vastness. It wasn't a bad feeling. She was with Kenshin, after all. And now, he was…

Now he neared her, switching his hold on her so that his right hand held her right. His left arm wrapped protectively around her abdomen. Feeling tense and exhilarated at all of this, together they walked back to the edge.

Ami leaned forward slightly to look down again, pushing against Kenshin's arm. Her stomach seemed to drop both from the sight and the touching.

"Hold on tight," she whispered, nervous and blushing, her toes curling.

He looked with her, his chin brushing against the side of her head.

"I won't drop you." He promised, and held her even more securely. Ami could feel the warmth from his body, and his face was so close to hers.

Together they stared silently down at the drop, Ami's heart pounding. Her eyes roamed over the small blotches of scattered shrubbery and trees, lining the bottom and scaling part of the cliff. Her eyes caught onto the winding length of a thing road.

"That's our trail," Kenshin pointed out. "We'll be down there soon, descending off the mountain."

"Ah," Ami murmured quietly, resting in his hold.

The sun shone brightly on all of this, and a sudden shadow passed over Ami's eyes. She looked up. A predatory bird, a hawk maybe, was flying above them. The wind blew softly at them and Ami felt the breeze that the hawk was riding.

_Fly._

She had talked to Kenshin about flying before, hadn't she? Had he remembered? Is that why he showed her- no. That wasn't it. But still…

_Thank you._

The breeze grew stronger, and Ami closed her eyes, breathing deeply. Her left hand rose up from her side, fingers reaching out and extending over the emptiness. She opened her eyes again, the amber eyes flickering intently as she watched her hand play over the wind. She sighed, wistfully.

"I wish I could fly. Right off the cliff, just for a while…"

"Like the hawk?" Kenshin asked, having seen her earlier glance skyward.

"Mm-hm," came the soft reply.

Kenshin untangled himself from her right hand, crossing both arms over her body now. He spread his legs and planted his feet firmly, leaning forward with her. "It could be a little scary, ne?" he pressed.

_Not when you're holding me like this_, she thought. "I'm safe."

With both her arms free, she reached forward for the empty air, the top portion of her body leaning forward. For a moment, she was afraid. Her muscles seized and she wavered over the open space, looking at the ground far below. She felt Kenshin's hold on her tighten, and her stomach churned more from it than the threatening plunge below.

"Wow…"

"When is Ami-chan's birthday?" Kenshin teased softly.

Ami blushed and slowly let her eyes close again, arms still extended. "In the spring, I think."

"Then it's probably already passed," Kenshin mused thoughtfully. He gave a small laugh, and it felt strange and wonderful to feel him laughing against her. "I think I can give you a late present, no?" He started to pull her back from the ledge and paused. "Have you had enough?"

She nodded, and they drew back, Kenshin releasing her and brushing his sleeves down. He walked back to the ledge alone and peered down, calculating. He smiled, musingly.

"Well, I wouldn't normally do this because of the effort… it's much more peaceful to walk all the way down…"

"Huh?" She asked, her face still pink.

He turned back and smiled at her. "I'll take you flying, as close as I can mimic it. If we walk a little farther…" he gestured below the cliff, "We can jump down to the trail."

Ami's eyes popped out as she comprehended what he meant. "J-jump? How? All the way down there?"

"Ami-chan," he said gently, "the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu is designed after a dragon, and so you have to be able to strike powerfully from above. As a practitioner of the style, I can jump very far."

Ami wordlessly looked up with questioning eyes to the hawk. Kenshin followed her gaze with a flick of his eyes.

"I can reach it," he said. Her jaw dropped. "It's actually not that far away-" Kenshin added hastily. "Only about 20 meters-"

His voice fell away when her hand found his again. Her eyes shone. "Okay. Show me," she told him.

They fairly ran down. At least, the older man trying to keep up with the scrambling girl.

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They went off the worn trail to stay near the edge. Ami was excited, sliding down the dusty rock, letting loose pebbles. Kenshin peered off the edge every fifteen minutes or so, until finally, he judged the distance to be close enough.

"Well, this is it," he sighed. They stood together, Kenshin pointing out their landing spot, where the vegetation wasn't as thick. Once they landed, they would walk back onto the trail, and by doing so skip at least three hours worth of walking.

_"I'll take you flying, as close as I can mimic it."_

_Kenshin…_ Ami looked at him, feeling wistful in her heart. _You must be in a good mood today… to be doing this for me._ She smiled, glad for him. _Thank you._

Kenshin looked back at her, smiling. "Come on," he gestured.

As was to be expected, Ami blushed crimson as she climbed onto Kenshin's back. Her heart thudded loudly, and she felt uncomfortable when Kenshin's arms hooked under her legs. She struggled to stay still and not fidget.

"I…" she struggled to say, trying to adjust her hold around his neck, not wanting to choke him. Kenshin stood up, and Ami's face flushed as she felt him move against her. "K-Kenshin?"

"Yes?" he asked. His ponytail brushed against her face.

"I…" she couldn't think of what to say. She smiled, a blushing, shy smile. "I hope it'll be fun. Thank you." Her face blanched suddenly. "I mean, it _will_ be fun, I really wonder what it will be like, I've never ever done this before-"

"Shhh," Kenshin said soothingly. He stood at the edge, and Ami tensed against him in nervousness. "Try to relax," he murmured. Unbeknownst to Ami, Kenshin's heart was going faster than usual as well. He didn't know why he was feeling so playful today, but it was still a good feeling. He felt so content with this little girl beside him… and he wanted to repay that with a flight worth remembering. This would be one of the first times he had used this ability for pleasure, not to mention for a child's.

"Ready?" he asked.

Ami snapped to attention, adrenaline rushing through her veins and sweat gathering on her forehead. "Hai!"

"All right then!" Kenshin cried, and he crouched down and sprung up with a powerful yell.

They were in the air. They were rising upwards with incredible speed, and there was nothing beneath her, around her, nothing except for Kenshin. Ami screamed wildly, and as their speed lessened and they seemed to hover in the air before gravity pushed them back down to earth, her screams turned into laughter.

"WE'RE FLYING, WE'RE FLYING!" she shrieked in terrified glee as they feel back, her hair flying upwards. "WE'RE FALLING!"

Kenshin started to laugh, and Ami laughed with him, her thin arms desperately clutching at him, his grip on her steady. She looked up, the dark strands of her hair whirling around her, Kenshin's red hair doing the same. She saw the tip of the cliff and its wall rushing past them as they fell.

"YES!" she crowed, exhilarated, terrified, and happy all at once. She was afraid to adjust her grip on Kenshin in case of screwing up his balance and thus his landing.

_The landing!_

She looked down and saw the earth rushing up at them. Terror gripped her for a moment, the tops of the trees looking deadly. "KENSHIN!" she screamed in warning.

"Hold on!" he roared back. "Use your legs!"

She hooked them more securely around his waist, and he let go, spreading his arms for balance. They landed with a horrible jolt and Ami almost shook loose. They skidded down the slope, large clouds of dust rising, and then Kenshin leapt again, landed, slid down for a second, and jumped again, until their speed slowed down and they weren't in any danger. Ami flinched with each landing and when they finally stopped, the dust swirled around them and her hold on him was incredibly tight.

"Hoh," Kenshin said, satisfied. Ami still held on, her arms and legs wrapped around him tightly, eyes wide. She felt as if she had frozen stiff. After a moment, she regained control of her eyes and they darted around their surroundings, stunned. They were on the trail. They were alive. And Kenshin wasn't even panting.

She was afraid she would scream again, this time in thrilled astonishment. A grin that threatened to crack her face in two spread across her face. She found she couldn't keep the scream in.

"WOW!" she shrieked, perhaps in Kenshin's ear. "WOW, WOW, WOW!"

She saw Kenshin smile and gingerly try to pry her off. He knelt down and firmly undid her hands from their tight clutch on his gi, and then placed his hands on her legs and slid her off. Her legs were shaky and she stretched out her arms, sore from being so tense.

"Kenshin, Kenshin!" she said excitedly, her heart still beating fast. "Kenshin, that was so amazing! Thank you so much, I never thought it would feel like _that_… the wind was so incredible and…" she couldn't complete her statement, craning her head back to look up again. The cliff tip looked so far up. How far had they fallen, exactly? However far it was, it was big. Ami's heart felt fit to burst. Kenshin was absolutely _amazing_.

"Thank you so much," she said again breathlessly.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it," Kenshin smiled at her, truly. He felt incredibly warm. "I've never enjoyed jumping so much before either."

"That can hardly be called a jump," Ami said, her arms still spread wide, turning dizzily. "A leap, a bound! It's a word that hasn't been invented yet!"

A grin spread over Kenshin's face, too. "It _was_ something," he agreed, not so much on the leap, but about the joy it had caused her. It was unusual, but… he wanted to embrace her, or put an arm over her shoulder. Instead, he settled for making her laugh again. He wiggled a finger in his ear.

"I think you've broken my eardrums, Ami-chan," he winced, exaggeratingly.

"Oh! I'm so sorry… it's just, it was so… I couldn't help it!" She reached out and took his arm, hugging it. "Sorry!" She put her cheek against his arm, a blush spreading over her young face again. Despite that, her grin still left a smile in its wake. "W-well… let's… let's go! Huh? We're almost off the mountain, right?"

"That's right. We should reach ground level by the end of the day." They took some steps forward, Ami still holding onto his arm. She made herself let go so that they could walk easier, and hopped the first few steps, happily.

She considered it the best day she had ever had. She and Kenshin had touched more than they ever had. He had taken her flying. Kenshin was in a good mood, and they would also be leaving the wretched city Kyoto that hated Kenshin far behind now. Nothing could hurt her. And the memory all began with Kenshin leading her by the hand to a yellow cliff…

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I'm sorry! It's so long! It's just… I had to get the cliff scene out of the way. It's actually IMPORTANT for the future, and I'm planning to wrap up this arc soon. (Oh god… yes, this is a trilogy. Ack!) I've been experimenting with a style in this chapter, the part when I FINALLY got that soup scene over with. It might not be great, but I think the style at least got that scene over faster than if I was writing from Ami's POV solely, or this would be even longer. I'm so incredibly thankful for the reviews. I feel honored that this story manages to catch your attention. I hope the waiting time wasn't too long this time. 

Capito Celcior: Thanks so much. Your review particularly made me want to get this one done quickly… it definitely would be a shame if you forgot. I wouldn't want to put you through rereading all of this again.

Meiharu: You ARE faithful!It's too much to ask for! Thanks so much! And as for Ami and Kenshin… they will meet again, someday. There's so much more to write that I'm afraid you'll get tired of it by the end.

Random Reader: It's been so long, and I'm glad that you still have interest for this story. Your review cheered me up so much, I can hardly describe it. I really hope you enjoy this chapter, because again, your words meant a lot to me.

pego: It always amazes me when someone joins in and reads through all of the chapters I've already written. It must be tedious. I'm really glad you like it, and Ami. I'm so proud of her. Ha, I wonder if Watsuki ever feels proud of his characters? He should be. Thanks for reviewing!

moeru himura: Thanks so much for reviewing, your comments were VERY valuable to me. Thanks for letting me know you thought it was dragging too- I'm trying to wrap this arc up. Hopefully in the next story, I'll be able to write a little faster, because the plot is all laid out for me there. And everyone seems to have gotten to know Ami and Kenshin's relationship well; I'm not doing any random cutesy scenes anymore, from here out, it's getting ready for the ending. And Ami will find out about Kenshin's old identity when she's older, but not quite so old as that… I thought that it was really awesome you thought about them during your shower. I thought it was only the really good fictions that stay on your mind after reading them, so that really impressed me, along with you following along so closely... Thanks again!

the sacred night: Thanks for the compliments on Ami. I'm glad she doesn't seem like a Mary-Sue. I'm so glad that she is a successful character.

Shauntell: Ami will get to meet Kaoru, in the next story. I'd be honored if you stuck around till then! Thank you so much for reading and reviewing.

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So... let me know how I'm doing, k? Don't worry, it'll all be over soon. :P (Well, even that's not true... this arc, at least.) 


	18. The FoxDemon With a Fake Smile pt 1

Disclaimer: I DO own Rurouni Kenshin! I have Volumes 1,3, 5, & 10 in my closet!

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The Fox-Demon With a Fake Smile

It was early morning, and the air hung heavy with gray mist. The natural sounds were disturbed by the sounds of a young man, the scuff of his footsteps rapid. The vibrant red of his hair was muted by the gray morning, and there was sweat on his forehead, not from exertion, but from panic. In his arms was a girl, cradled close against his chest. Her eyes were shut, but she was not asleep. Her leg throbbed continuously, as if to remind her of the venom spreading through her body, though it was hardly as if she'd forget. She tried to calm herself like he'd told her to. Each pump might be carrying her closer to death, but she had a while.

She forced her eyes to remain tightly shut, resisting the urge to look up at his face. The anxious expression on his face, the fear, made her heart beat faster. She ached over the distress she was causing him. She clenched her teeth in pain and tried to slow her breath. As her heart did a quick b-bump, she knew she was afraid too, despite herself. She trusted him, and knew that he'd get her to some sort of medical help soon. Even the wind rushing at her from his running felt like gifts from him, the air trying to soothe her.

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He had not been diligent. Kenshin cursed in his mind. _Damn it! If only I'd woken her up and told her where I was going… if only she had not tried to look for me… _

For goodness sake, he had only gone off to change his clothes. He had to put some distance between them. Why did she always wake up so soon after he left, lately? Was he too loud? She was a light-sleeper, he had found. Could she possibly sense the absence of his presence? He had been gone only for ten minutes, and came back quickly after hearing her calls. He had stopped dead when he saw her, resting on one knee, clutching at her ankle. Her face had been white, and she looked as if she had been caught red-handed doing something bad. She had even tried to _hide_ the bite from him, in one foolish moment, but she relented quickly and confessed.

"What kind of snake was it?" Kenshin interrogated her, squeezing down on her calf to try and stop the flow.

"A yamakagashi, I think," she said, and her lips pressed tightly together, looking as if she were about to cry as she watched Kenshin look closely at her wound, his face set hard and grim. "I'm sorry."

He ignored her apology, brow furrowed. _What luck… yamakagashi almost never bite… _A trickle of sweat fell down his cheek as he glared at the wound.

"To suck out the poison from the wound…" he murmured in deep concentration, staring at the bite as if it were an opponent. And just as if it was, he moved quickly, and put his mouth to it. He felt Ami immediately stiffen, but ignored her, trying to do this task well. He was not an expert on poison, so this much he had to perform before he could get her to a doctor…

He spat the mouthful of blood to the side and placed his mouth back over it again, trying to ignore the taste, which threatened to evoke gruesome memories. He moved to spit again, noticing the growing warmth of her skin underneath his hands. Putting his mouth back to the wound, his eyes flickered up at her. She looked shocked and afraid, her complexion turning crimson.

"Don't!" he said sharply, and she flinched. "Try to control your breathing," he said, this time trying to soften his command, still urgent. "The faster your heart beats, the faster the poison will spread throughout your blood."

She nodded, but she still looked panicked, staring down at the ground with wide eyes, trying to follow his orders. Kenshin stood up and wiped his mouth with his forearm, the salty taste of her blood still lingering there uncomfortably. He bent down and gathered her into his arms, and she wrapped her arms around his neck awkwardly, still staring away from him.

He supported her with one arm, gathering their belongings quickly with the other. "I'll get you to a doctor," he promised her, his own heart racing. "It will be all right. I'll protect you."

"Hai," she whispered, burying her face into his side, and he began to run. Slowly, he felt her tense body begin to relax, and when he gave a quick look down at her, her eyes were closed, her hand still clutching his gi.

_Ami… we'll… I swear. It's going to be all right. Something like this isn't going to end us… you're going to be okay._

He grit his teeth, running faster, his steps light and quick.

_A rurouni… can look after his child. Himura Kenshin won't let you die, not to something such as sudden as this. I am capable. I can save people. I can…_

He refused to let his mind drift any further. In five minutes, he crossed a good deal of land. Up ahead, he saw the figure of a lone man, a pack on his back, perhaps a merchant.

"Stay just as you are," he said in a quick, hushed sentence to Ami. "Keep resting." Then, in a louder voice, directed towards the traveler, "HEY! Help us if you can!"

The traveler halted and turned around, surprised, just as Kenshin reached him. He _was_ a merchant, Kenshin confirmed. _That's good… if he has any medicine…_

"Sir, if you could please help this child," he said, regaining his breath quickly. "She's been bitten by a grass snake, about 10 minutes ago."

"I-I don't have anything!" the merchant said, horrified, looking Ami over. "I don't have anything to treat that sort of thing… but the town this road leads to, you should be able to reach it soon if you run hard. I've come from Kyoto, and I make this trip regularly, and judging from the time, Nagoya shouldn't be too far off."

"Arigatou gozaimasu," Kenshin bowed quickly, and rushed on, leaving the man. _So… not far… how long does it take for yamakagashi venom to spread? It will be all right. I'm not misjudging the situation. The chance of her dying is slim… I'm sure I will get her help soon enough. So… if only my pulse wouldn't beat so fast…_

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Shizuma Naoko was standing on the pathway of her garden. She was a woman in her thirties, and her kimono had the look of something that had been rich in a former life. Oh, yes, she had been moderately wealthy before. But it was hard to support herself, with her husband gone. It was unfortunate the patriots had won the war. No consolation whatsoever from the new government… that was the easy way to think of the situation.

_Hasegawa-san…_

She stooped down, the hem of her robe brushing against the dusty brick pavement, reaching out to touch one of her plants.

"Shizuma-san!" came the panicked voice of her grown nephew. She frowned slightly. He had broken the peace of the garden. She straightened up as her nephew, Shun, came clattering into the garden, panting. What startled her were the two strangers following him. Well, one. A young man with a girl-child in his arms. The girl's face was pale and she was obviously in pain. Her leg was swelling, and a cloth had been tied tightly above it. _I see_, she thought, grasping the situation quickly. As her nephew opened his mouth to speak, her eyes swept across the newcomer's trembling face, and, over a curious scar, marring the cheek…

Her eyes widened ever so slightly at the mark, and then she turned herself back to her nephew.

"Shizuma-san! The girl has been bitten by a yamakagashi!"

"How long?" she asked sharply. It was a strange case. This did not happen often.

"About six minutes ago," shot the stranger just as quickly, sweat on his brow. "Please do your best to help her. I will be eternally grateful…"

It was all so sudden; Naoko had no choice but to go along with it in a professional manner. "Come quickly, then," she said, saving her questions about the two strangers for later. She fairly ran inside the house, her nephew and the samurai following fast.

It seemed Kenshin had made it just in time before it became unbearable. As he followed the herbalist inside, Ami began to cry.

"We're here?" she asked weakly, clutching at his gi. He saw her face twist and then she buried it into his side to hide. She hissed quietly to herself, but he was still able to hear her groan. "It hurts, it hurts!"

The herbalists rushed inside the household, the older woman snapping orders to her nephew. It was obvious who was more skilled. They both called out unfamiliar herb names to fetch, and Kenshin laid Ami down upon a table, still hugging her upper body to his chest, trying to ease her panic.

"It will be all right," he soothed her, close to her ear. "You're safe now. You're in good hands."

"I-…I-I…" she couldn't speak, caught by sudden gasps of pain. "I…I'm such… a ... a baby… I'm sorry…"

Now, the nephew and his aunt stood at opposite sides of the table.

"Let's get started," Shun said, breathing deeply. He pulled the stopper from the jar.

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"I'm sorry. I was foolish."

"It's all right."

They sat quietly next to each other, her right leg dangling gingerly off the porch, bound with poultices to make the swelling go down. She bent forward looking down, her hair falling to cover her face. She stared at her leg.

"I'm really sorry." She said again.

"Don't apologize to me," Kenshin said, kindly. He looked over at her, putting a hand over hers. "Does it still hurt?"

"A little. It throbs." She blushed faintly, and after a moment, her hand twisted to hold his securely. "When I get better, I'll help you pay off the debt. Maybe I can make something for them."

"The labor won't be too hard," he told her.

"But still…" _I'm sorry._

There was the soft pad of footsteps, and Kenshin drew his hand away from hers. Ami folded them both quietly into her lap and looked up as Kenshin rose from his seat.

"Naoko-dono," Kenshin greeted.

The woman who had helped save Ami's life nodded at him politely. "Himura-san." She smiled down at Ami. The expression made her look younger. "How is the patient?"

"Feeling better. We'll do our best to repay you."

"Thank you. I promise you, it will be fair. However, I really can't lie that we don't need fixing up. My nephew isn't much for men's jobs."

"I'll do anything you ask." Kenshin smiled warmly. "Thank you again, for helping Ami-chan."

Ami took one look at Kenshin and decided it was her cue. She struggled to stand up. "I'll do my best too-" she said seriously, and then her expression froze. "Erk…"

"Don't strain that leg!" Naoko warned sharply, alarmed. She sighed at the ground as the girl let out a series of short "ow"s and clung onto the oro-ing redhead. But when she looked back at them, a strange look was in her dark eyes.

_Hasegawa-san… you…_

Her hand raised and she smoothed her hair back slowly, still gazing at them. Her stare slowly shifted from the rurouni to the child, who was now looking up at him, laughing at her own clumsiness, deep affection obvious in her eyes.

_Masaka… could it be…?_

Her eyes strayed once more to Kenshin's face. The left side was hidden to her, but… she remembered the scar's shape. Two thin lines, in the shape of a cross… her gaze lingered on the sword strapped at his waist. _Strange, but… there's no way… _

She forced a smile, but even she could feel that it was rigidly fixed and insincere looking. "Well, I came to tell you breakfast is ready. You both got up so early, I hope you weren't hungry."

Kenshin and Ami looked up, the girl balancing on her good let, leaving little weight on her injured one. Ami noticed the strange look on their new hostess's face as Kenshin assured the woman that they were fine and thanked her.

"Ah, gomen nasai," Ami said suddenly, sheepishly. She found out what must have irked Naoko. "You told me to get rest." _But, I wanted to get up and talk with Kenshin_, she thought silently.

Naoko blinked in surprise, but the guarded way she held herself did not disappear. "Oh." She smiled, faintly. "Yes, that's right. Now, let's talk as we eat."

They settled down, just the three of them. Shun had eaten earlier, going off to town for some errands. The two wanderers politely complimented Naoko on her cooking. _I'm getting better at this_, Ami thought to herself. _Always please the person who takes you in. Demo, I think I can tell the difference between Kenshin's polite smile and a real one by now._

"So, you two are wanderers?" Naoko said, during the clink of chopsticks against the bowl.

They both nodded.

"Is it a habit, to wake so early?" she continued.

Ami opened her mouth to speak, but thought better of it, looking at Kenshin. She supposed Naoko would want to talk with an adult.

"We do, mostly," Kenshin admitted. "It's not a schedule, however, so we'll allow ourselves to slack if it's needed."

"If I'm prying, stop me," said Naoko. "But you two aren't related, isn't that so?"

Ami remembered last night, when they had been given their room. _You and your girl can share, right?_ Had been Shun's words. She remembered the Kamashi pair, and how they had mistaken her for Kenshin's daughter. _Are we so strange together?_ She wondered now.

Kenshin answered. "No. We met under some circumstances and came together."

_That seems so long ago… _She remembered both times. The first time she saw him was a much pleasanter memory than from when she saw him again, trapped by that disgusting man. She felt spoiled, suddenly, remembering the times he'd helped her.

"I see," Naoko said. "Then, neither of you have any family?"

Kenshin smiled faintly. "There's no one for me to return to." Contrasting with his soft tone, Ami straightened up eagerly.

"I have a brother," she said. Naoko smiled at her, telling her to go on, and she did. "His name is Hiro. My parents were dead, so it was just him. But…" she paused, staring down at her lap. _But…_ "When I was eight years old, he went away to war."

Naoko's smile fixed. She swallowed, and it faded. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Ami said, looking at her innocently. She did not see Kenshin staring at her. "I miss him and everything… but it's all right."

_He's alive, you know_, she wanted to add, but somehow, she felt that Naoko wouldn't believe her. The look of confused pity was enough.

"Then…" Naoko began to interrogate her guests again, "you two have been traveling together for a long while?"

"Not very long, actually, though it seems like a long while." Kenshin said. He smiled at Ami, and she blushed with pleasure and smiled back. "A lot can happen in a couple of months."

"That's true," Naoko said.

_And death can happen in one moment…_

If she had been alone, Naoko would have smiled bitterly. These thoughts were driving her mad. But, she concealed this moderately well, hiding her twisted expression behind her teacup. "But," she persisted, "you had been wandering before you met Ami-chan?"

Kenshin didn't mind the interrogation; in fact, he had expected it. Not many people could take in a complete stranger without being suspicious. If it came to a question he didn't want to answer, he'd smile and make them let it go. Though, in fact, with Ami at his side, people seemed to feel a little more kind-hearted than to just a lone redheaded samurai by himself.

_So many people hate me… so I can't ask for more than just wary looks._

"I've traveled for five years," he said calmly, eyes closing as he sipped his tea. He felt both Naoko's and Ami's eyes on him.

"And before that?"

_I fought… and I killed… and I built up so many sins that I became the most famous of all hitokiri…_

"I participated in the Bakumatsu. Once the battle of Toba Fushimi was over, I decided to travel around Japan…" Before she could ask why, he supplied an answer that was sure to make her stop out of consideration. "The bloodshed sickened me."

Naoko was tight-lipped, and she once more hid her face with her cup. "I see." Then, she felt the beginnings of hate wrap slowly around her heart, like black fog.

_You liar._

She had to get out of there, before Kenshin figured out anything. "The war really… was a terrible thing. My husband…" she made to sound overwhelmed with hard sorrow, and found she didn't have to pretend. "Forgive me, may I excuse myself?"

"Of course," Kenshin said.

Naoko got up, not looking at either of them, though she felt the little girl's eyes on her. She took slow steps out of the dining area to the outer walkway. When she thought herself to be far enough, she began to walk quickly until she came to her room. She slid the shoji open fast and locked herself inside, breathing heavily.

_That man… that man!_

Her hands scrabbled at the thick cloth of her kimono, trying to grasp her heart. She pressed down, hard, needing the pain. She felt angry tears come into her eyes. "Not again…" she hissed. "Not like this again…"

She was feeling the same hatred she had felt years ago, when her husband died. In her madness, her worried sister had sent Shun, Naoko's nephew, to live with her. But her sister really had no need to worry of Naoko taking her own life. She had too much hate in her for her to die. Incredible hate, for the man that had killed Hasegawa-san. She had truly been insane for a few years after his death. And now, Naoko could feel the same feelings tugging at her heart. She didn't want it to take over again. It was painful enough with her husband dead. But…

The image of Kenshin's scar burned in her mind. She doubled over, clutching herself and gritting her teeth, her hair coming undone, a few wisps falling into her face.

_Oh god… it can't be him… could the fates be so cruel as to present him to me after all these years, making me revert back into what I was? Or is this a second chance, to grant my wish…? Is it even really him? He has a little girl with him…it can't be…but…_

She tried to take control of herself and held her breath, trying to listen for any sounds of his or the girl's presence. She heard the faint swish of a sword and louder, girlish laughter. She slowly crept back to the shoji and slid it open a crack.

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Ami and Kenshin were silent for a moment, after Naoko left them.

"She…" Ami said softly, staring down into her bowl. "Hm…"

"Aa," Kenshin confirmed, expressionless, reading Ami's thoughts.

"That's too bad," said Ami awkwardly. She picked up her chopsticks, scooping up a clump of rice, still staring down at the bowl. She wanted to talk to Kenshin, but thought better of it, letting both of them think their own thoughts.

Kenshin ate, his face stiff at once more, another reminder of the grimness of war. He didn't want to ask which side Naoko's husband had been on. And yet, he thought he had sensed something from her, Naoko… cold, hard grief? Or was it hatred? Was it just the memory of her husband's death, or something more? He would have touched his scar, but he was all too aware of Ami. Her part in the conversation too, had disturbed him.

_"I have a brother. His name is Hiro."_

The use of present tense made him stare at her. Her next sentence had shocked him even more.

_"It's okay. I miss him and everything… but it's all right."_

She had changed. He had hid it from her, but he had sensed the occasional times when she was caught up in yearning for her brother. Kenshin knew that Hiro was most likely dead. From what little information Ami told about him and their life together, Kenshin doubted that if this Hiro were alive, he would have left Ami by herself. Yes, he had to be dead. But Ami had talked strangely about him. As if he was still here, and yet not.

"I have a brother. I miss him and everything… but it's all right."

It was contradictory. She acted like he was alive, but secretly inside… she must know. She _had_ to know, Kenshin reasoned. She wasn't that naively hopeful. Besides that… she hadn't acted sad. Even to keep up the pretense that he was alive, she still should have been sad to mention him, especially when she had to go over that he was gone. He glanced at her from the corner of his eyes, watching her eat her rice.

_Or could it be worse than that… that perhaps, she is slowly forgetting him, because someone has taken his place… and even, maybe, slowly taking over her whole heart?_

_And if that's the case, that person has to be…me._

Strangely, the thought burdened him. He looked at her again, eyes roving over her gentle face. She felt his eyes and turned to smile at him, oblivious to his dark thoughts. He smiled back softly, worried about the amount of belief and trust she put in him.

"Are you done?" she asked, leaning towards him to look into his bowl. He nodded, and she took it. "I'll clean up," she said, giving him another full, closed-eyed smile.

"No, I'll help you," he said, getting up first and helping her to her feet. He knew she shouldn't stand for a long time.

Ami opened her mouth to protest, but thought better of it. She realized there was nothing else for Kenshin to do anyway, since Naoko had gone off in private. They washed the dishes in silence, Kenshin still deep in thought.

_It still disturbs me… and what's more, even though I've saved her, I still feel that something bad is going to happen…_

Kenshin's eyes flickered down towards her. She was leaning against the counter to take weight off of her right leg. He closed his eyes, sighing in his mind. _The last time I felt this kind of foreboding presence was when I saw Enishi, Tomoe's younger brother, after the battle in Toba Fushimi…nothing has happened since then… so, I should stop worrying. Ami is completely out of danger. The poison delivered from the bite was actually a small amount, and she's fine now. If I keep acting like this, she'll notice something._ _She can pick up things like that, at least for me… _

They finished, and Kenshin helped her outside to the porch area again. Ami sat down, and Kenshin stood ahead of her, the breeze comfortable.

"Ne, Kenshin," Ami started. "About the work you're going to have to do for Shizuma-san…"

"Oro," He looked at her, surprised, and then laughed, putting a hand to his head. "You're still thinking about that?"

She smiled a little and blushed. "Yeah. But I think, you could be her bodyguard, Kenshin!"

"ORO?"

"Really!" She started eagerly. "It should be easy work for you, ne?"

"Oro… Ami-chan, Naoko-dono doesn't need a bodyguard unless someone is threatening her. There'd have to be someone to attack."

"Oh." She had apparently forgotten that. She started to laugh. "Souka! I forgot all about that."

He laughed with her for a moment and his hand idly stroked the handle of his sakabatou, gripping it. He looked down at it and slowly drew it out.

"Hm," he heard Ami say. Her voice quieted so that he wouldn't have to hear any more foolish suggestions, but he heard them nevertheless. "If she saw some of your attacks, I'd bet she'd want to hire you anyway…"

_Perhaps_, he answered in his mind, staring down at the reflective metal. He gave a few experimental swings. He didn't feel the need to practice, especially not in the courtyard of an herbalist who still obviously felt the repercussions of war. He sheathed it again, with a sharp clink.

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Naoko watched, stunned. She was convinced now. She was a coward to try to deny the truth. Her eyes smoldered with hate. _Cross scar… a sword…how dare you enter my house? But you'll stay here… and then…_

Her eyes drifted down to the back of the little girl, still watching Kenshin. From Naoko's angle of sight, she could plainly see the look of adoration on her face.

_And **you**_, she thought. _What is it that makes you love him so? Do you have any idea who he is or what he's done?_ She withdrew quietly, shutting the shoji. Her hands clenched into fists, the knuckles turning white. Her mind was whirling with anger and confusion. Doubt still scratched at her. It seemed so unlikely, but the signs were all there. _Who are these people? _She thought again, dizzily. Her mouth hardened into a thin line. _I'll have enough time to find out. Because of the girl's bite, she'll be staying here for a while… _

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A/N: 8D; Um… yay? It's been in exactly one month since I've updated. Well, almost. This is two days earlier. I guess a month is my deadline. This arc is coming to an end. You can see Naoko, my evil villain. She has some stuff up her sleeve…

Ha. There are so many problems with this story, not exactly in this arc, but after it. If I really wanted to be good, I should end the whole story differently than I had daydreamed it. In the beginning chapters, I think I mentioned that I was only writing this to store it… that I wouldn't be affected by reviews… I WAS WRONG. I really want to please you guys, but I still want to stick with the bad ending I've thought up. Really, this ending will span ON and ON and you'll get sick to death of reading Adoration, which is going to be separated into a TRILOGY kind of thing. I really do think it'd be better if I thought up an alternate ending… something to end all this QUICKER. But still… (sigh) You guys can imagine your own, lol, and break off from the story if you get bored. Agh…

I had some problems with this chapter too. Had to rewrite quite a bit… do some research. Supposedly there are only two types of poisonous snakes in Japan, the mamushi and yamakagashi. Mamushi is more deadly and yamakagashi is more common, I think… Yamakagashi are also supposed to be very docile, so its rare to be bitten by them. Ami must have been totally caught up in looking for Kenshin that she stepped right on it or something. Ha…

Anyway, I'll reply to only a few reviews this time, just to shorten this thing overall. But that doesn't mean anything… every review makes me go, "YAY!" …. (coughs)

Meiharu: Lot's of people seem to like Hiro… I'm not sure why… I mean, he's a cool guy and all, but… Um… he's dead. XD;;; Sorry about that. Your review made me think, though, about Ami's relationship with Hiro. Next chapter, I'm hoping to try and fit in how Ami's been changed after her encounter with death aka the snake bite. It doesn't seem like she's majorly affected, and I realized that was a mistake… I'm hoping to do more Hiro-remembering times later, if that helps at all.

Shauntell: Ooh, let me know if you post your story! I wonder if I could spot any influences. :x Um… XD;;; that kind of flying is for Kenshin and Ami only:P Kenshin's already rescued Kaoru several times kind of in that way already. Kaoru may be younger than Kenshin, but I don't think she could have an experience like Ami's doing that.

PraiseDivineMercy: It's okay if you find her devotion disturbing… it does pretty much destroy her in the end, after all. We all know that he's leaving her, right? So…

Okay, that's that. Hope it was a good chapter. x.x;


	19. Trickery and Malice pt 2

Disclaimer: I DO own Rurouni Kenshin! I have Volumes 1,3, 5, & 10 in my closet!

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Trickery and Malice

Kenshin dreamed of the past. Images of his boyhood flashed behind his closed eyes. There was Hiko, the waterfall, the brown training ground, and himself, sitting at the bank, watching the water wash by in the blue and green stream. The situation was that he was neglecting his duty to fetch water, and the wooden bucket lay empty and forgotten in the tall grass.

He was just a boy, his arms wrapped loosely around his drawn up knees, staring off with clear, intent eyes, dragonflies zipping past. He felt wetness fall upon his head, and he reached up. Suddenly, his hair was longer, and snow began to fall. He stood up. The water bucket was gone, and his two swords were once again at his belt. Their weight felt strange to him, and foreboding.

The area was white, and the scenery changed subtly, and he somehow knew that he wasn't at Shishou's mountain any longer. The dark strokes of the kanji from the ransom letter flashed white in his mind. _Kekkai Forest_.

He stood, his shoulders squared. He heard soft footsteps behind him. She was so light she barely made the snow crunch. He turned.

He met dark hair, elegantly framing a beautiful, ivory colored face he knew well. The scarlet edges of her inner kimono stood out from the world of white. She was not smiling, but he didn't mind.

He stared at her, silently. He didn't try to touch her like he had before, when she entered his dreams, only to have her stay for a lingering moment as if to satisfy him, and then slowly melt away. He smiled, wistfully. "Hello, Tomoe."

Her face took on a more grievous tone. Her eyes were downcast, like she wanted to hide her tears. In the middle of the forest, in the softly swirling snow, they relived the night before the end. Tears formed in those dark eyes, and Kenshin stepped forward to embrace her and hide her vulnerability. She wept into his shoulder, and he brushed his face against her silky hair, sighing quietly.

Just like before, her presence slowly began to fade. He clutched at her tighter, before her body lost its solidness. The faint scent of white plum grew stronger, and Kenshin shut his eyes. _Iie…please, no…_

The wind howled, and the snow flew fiercely. He smelled blood and fell to his knees, and opened his eyes. She was dead, again, her limp body cradled on his lap against his chest. On her face was the last, most beautiful of her smiles, stained by the image of blood. The final tears beside her closed eyes struck the same chord in his heart as it had done back then, and he held her tightly and wept.

The pain he had caused her… and now…

"Tomoe… TOMOE!"

"Kenshin…" came the small voice. Numbly, he looked up, tears blurring his vision. He saw Ami standing in the snow, her clothes looking even more like rags compared to the pure white. She looked out of place, lost and forlorn.

He looked down. Tomoe was still there. Her stroked her chilled face and kissed her good-bye, laying her down gently. He stood up, feeling heavy, and walked away towards Ami, knowing that if he looked back she'd be gone.

As he neared her, Ami suddenly turned her back to him. Deliberately, she stretched out her arms. Kenshin froze in his tracks. Her image wavered, and he saw Tomoe again. Their figures blended, faded, always shifting. There was a rush of speed; Kenshin found his katana in his hands, and he struck.

Horrified, he expected to see Ami fall to the ground, or perhaps, Tomoe once more. Instead, it was the figure of a young man who lay dead, pale blue eyes staring empty up to the sky. Ami stood safely to the side, but her stare froze Kenshin's core. Her face began to screw up, on the verge of tears.

"Hiro," was all she said, and she began to cry. "Hiro, Hiro, Hiro, its Hiro."

The body changed. It was Kiyosato Akira, the bodyguard he had killed that had been Tomoe's fiancée. It became Tomoe, and then the body of the boy he had never known, only heard about, once more.

"Ah…" he said, eyes wide. He reached out with a trembling hand to the changing corpse, and then snatched it back, tearing his eyes away. He looked up to the sky, his hands clenched into fists, and screamed.

"STOP IT! I NEVER DID THAT!" His cry changed until it was nothing but a loud yell, similar to the way he cried out while taking charge of his ki. He did that now, hoping that it would blast away the whole scene. A final gust of wind crashed into him, giving him its final gift, a wave of hakubaikou scent. Despite himself, his cry changed to her name.

"TOMOE!"

A hand shot out and gripped the fabric of his gi, dragging him down.

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He was thrashing now. At the first sound of his moans, Ami's eyes had flown open, and she turned to him, scared. When he began to shift, she pushed the covers off herself and pulled herself slowly over to him, her leg bothering her. She hung over him, frightened, unsure as to what to do. Because of this, she did not notice the shadowy figure behind the shoji that slipped quietly away.

"Kenshin," she whispered, her voice too quiet. A little louder: "Kenshin!"

He was perspiring slightly, and his expression made her heart fly out to him. She stroked his forehead, trying to reach him in his dreams, whimpering sympathetically with him as he groaned.

When he began to truly struggle, she became terrified.

"Kenshin!" she tried to hush him, her eyes beginning to tear. The pain in his face made her want to cry for him. She didn't care if she woke him up anymore. She wanted him out of whatever dream he was having. She threw herself down upon him, grabbing the loose cloth of his yukata and crying into his chest, holding him down and hugging him at the same time.

"Wake up, wake up," she cried, and his eyes sprang open and he sat up. She fell off of him, wiping her eyes, the beating of her heart still frantic. She gave him time to prepare himself, and then she looked at his face.

"Ore wa…" his expression was surprised. He was considerably calmer than Ami. "What did I…?"

She sniffed, brushing back her hair. "A nightmare?"

Suddenly, his expression tensed.

"I don't think you woke anyone…" Ami tried to comfort, but he cut her off.

"Do you smell…?"

"Huh?" she asked, surprised, watching his face carefully. She sniffed the air. "I don't smell anything."

Kenshin seemed to relax at that, sighing and putting a hand to his head. "It's nothing, then. I'm sorry for waking you."

"It's all right." She smiled timidly at him. "Go to bed again, okay?"

Kenshin smiled faintly at her instructions. "You too, Ami-chan."

"Hai," she said, and crawled back to her futon and tucked herself in. Kenshin did the same, staring up at the ceiling.

_What evoked this dream? It's been a while since I've had a nightmare like this…_

He looked over at Ami, and remembered the part she and her brother had played. The troubling words about her brother must have partly inspired it, along with Naoko's obvious grief about her husband. _And… my own wife… who I unknowingly destroyed even before I met her…_

_Tomoe… I want to talk to you… when I woke, I thought I smelled a faint trace of white plum…_

Kenshin closed his eyes, but no vision of his late wife came to him. Slowly, he sunk into sleep once more.

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Days passed. The swelling and pain in Ami's leg slowly disappeared. Kenshin started his labors to pay off the herbalist, doing household chores such as repairing what needed to be fixed and cleaning. Naoko, for the most part, they did not see. She was a solitary woman, it seemed, though she did try and force herself to be nice to them. They met at mealtimes and bumped into each other at other places in the house, for it was not that large. It seemed to Ami that Naoko would study her as they passed. It was awkward between them. Ami remembered the friendship that had formed between Kenshin, herself, and the Kamachi's. She supposed it was asking for too much for the same to happen again. However, one day, Naoko sought her out.

Ami was watching Kenshin clean the floor, with troubled eyes and a mouth that threatened to turn into a frown. She blushed that Kenshin had to work like that. Silently, her eyes followed him as he went back and forth with the small rag that had been given to him across the hall.

_I want to help you… you shouldn't be doing things like that, Kenshin. _Her eyes softened, and the weight that she had hidden inside her chest felt stronger. **_You_**_ saved me. In truth, I should be thankful to the herbalist, but when I think about it I thank **you**, Kenshin. When I was bitten, I wasn't as scared as I should have been, until…_

"Ami-chan."

"S-Shizuma-san." Ami said, startled. She twisted around in her seat to look at the woman. Ami gave her a small, tentative smile. "Hello."

Naoko smiled back. She looked past Ami's head and watched Kenshin, and Ami turned too. Silently, they both watched him work.

"He's a hard worker, isn't he?" Naoko stated.

Ami, still staring at Kenshin, nodded. "Aa."

Behind her, Naoko held her breath, as if unsure. Unknown to Ami, Naoko opened and clenched her fists a few times, trying to draw resolution. And then, she said, "Ami-chan… neither you or Himura-san have explored this city yet. I thought it'd be good if we went out to the lake nearby, and afterwards go shopping."

"Really?" asked Ami, pushing herself up into a standing position and turning to her hostess, beaming. "That would be wonderful."

Naoko smiled, and motioned to Kenshin with a jerk of her chin. "Tell Himura-san that my nephew will lead him into town first. I'll fix you up, Ami-chan. We should look well for the marketplace." She started back to her room, smiling at Ami over her shoulder. "I noticed you never fix your hair up. I have some ribbons you might like to try in my room."

"Okay," said Ami, excited at the turn of events. "I'll meet you there. Thank you!"

Naoko nodded and disappeared, and Ami walked quickly over to Kenshin to tell him the news, glad that he was getting a break. Kenshin agreed and minutes later, he and Shun left the house first, walking at a comfortable pace down the road. Shun acted submissive and even nervous around his aunt, but he began to talk easily a while down the road.

"My aunt probably just wants to talk with Ami-chan," said Shun, answering Kenshin's question. "She's very curious about you two, I hope you don't mind."

"Of course not," Kenshin said. "I understand very well."

"I have to say that I'm curious myself," Shun admitted, scratching behind his ear. He looked down at the shorter man. "How good are you with that sword? A wandering life must be a dangerous one."

"Competent enough," Kenshin said.

"I see. My uncle, Shizuma-san's husband, was good too. It didn't stop his life from ending during the war, though. I shouldn't say, but…" Shun's voice lowered a notch, though Naoko certainly was not around to hear. "…Shizuma-san went a little crazy at his death. My mother sent me to live with her, just to keep an eye on her."

"She tried to hurt herself?"

"Yes. It's been around three years since. She's relatively normal now, but from those who knew her before, you can definitely sense a change…"

"I see," said Kenshin, a weary sadness in his voice. _None of this grief… I did not know any of it until Tomoe. It was then I understood what war was. For some, perhaps it was a chance to gain honor, but for most it was death, pain, sorrow… _

He remembered his dream, and, closing his eyes for a moment, he saw her face before him. _Well, Tomoe… _

He saw her shadow in front of him, a hazy, unclear picture, but her head was bowed. He heard the echoes of her voice. _"If I hadn't found something—someone to hate, I would have gone mad…"_

He recalled the feeling of her held against him as she broke down after confessing. He wished now he could have comforted her more.

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Back at the house, Ami entered Naoko's room apprehensively. She wished Kenshin were still here. _I shouldn't be scared of her_, she rebuked herself. _Naoko-san helped save me, too._

Naoko was kneeling by her dresser. "Come in," she beckoned. "Sit here, Ami-chan."

Ami knelt beside her, and pushed back her kimono to put her hand against her bite, rubbing it carefully in reminiscence as she watched Naoko take some items out of the drawer and set it on the dresser top. She thought Naoko would start on her right away, but the herbalist applied some to herself, and Ami realized she was going to wait her turn. They both kept silent until Naoko was done, which didn't take a long time.

Naoko picked up a pretty comb made of a wood with a reddish brown color and motioned Ami nearer. Taking a seat behind her, Naoko began to brush Ami's hair. Ami's skin tingled and she felt slightly embarrassed, knowing that Naoko was probably finding lots of tangles. Her eyes kept to the floor, her hands clasped in her lap.

"Ami-chan," Naoko said softly. "You're wearing a very pretty kimono."

It was white with pink blossoms and a few yellow stripes. Ami admired it, but thought it didn't look very good on herself. "Thank you," she said.

"Did you and Himura-san pick that out?"

"Oh," Ami blushed, "no. Kenshin and I almost never go shopping for things like that. The last people we stayed with gave me it."

"I see." There was a pause, and then she started again. "Is it fun, living with Himura-san?"

Ami blushed again at her wording. "It's… it's wonderful, really." Her voice lowered and almost took on a dreamy quality as she talked. "I was so glad when he let me be with him. I was determined to not hold him down. But even if I had, he wouldn't complain. He's been so kind to me, always…"

"Then you care for each other a great deal," Naoko said delicately. She noticed Ami's shoulders became stiff.

"I… I care for him a lot. Very much. He likes me too, though," she said, hesitantly. "I think. Mm."

"Why?"

Ami found Naoko's questions a little strange, but she didn't mind answering them. It felt a little good to talk about her feelings for him. Kept inside, she felt fit to burst sometimes. "Why do I care? Because… he's very kind- understanding, too. I think it's just the way he looks at you. Like he won't judge you… and he's strong and brave and he always helps people and he's selfless-" she broke off, trying not to get carried away, but she had so many more things to say about him.

Naoko was silent, and Ami was afraid that the woman thought she was stupid. Finally, she spoke, but her words weren't comforting.

"How are you sure these are true? That it's not just a façade. You don't know about his past."

Ami felt like she had been slapped. "They _are_ true! I've been living with him for months now. And his past hurts him, so I'm not going to ask."

"Hurts?"

Ami wished Naoko would hurry with her hair. She just wanted to tie it and leave. "It's not happy, obviously. Mine isn't that great either, at some parts. Who cares about it?" She was getting huffy.

Naoko must have realized she was going too far, because she said soothingly, "All right," and tried to change the subject. "Now, what ribbon would you like to use, Ami-chan?"

Ami pursed her lips, forgiving Naoko. "I'm not sure…"

The herbalist reached forward and her slender fingers passed over a thin, pink ribbon. Her fingers hovered over them, and then she said, "Let me give you a hairstyle, Ami-chan. It's a pretty one."

"Okay," Ami consented. Naoko picked up the pink ribbon and gathered the back half of Ami's hair, leaving the front over her shoulders. Ami felt her make a ponytail and then gather it up a second time. When Naoko was done, she patted Ami lightly on the shoulder and pointed to the mirror on the dresser. Ami scooted forward and looked at it, turning her head to the side.

The ribbon was long, and wound around her hair many times, securing the strange, long, loose bun Naoko had made on her. Ami thought it looked strange, but decided it would grow on her quickly. She tilted her head down, and the hair not tied up fell to hide her face, but it obviously was not as affective as when all of her hair was free. "Thank you," Ami said, a little mystified, lifting her hands to run across her hair. She wondered if this was all they were doing, and if now they were free to follow after Kenshin. She wondered if he'd like her new hairstyle.

"You're welcome," Naoko said, putting away the other ribbons and the comb. She smiled faintly. "You have lovely hair, if you'd take care of it better."

"I'll try," Ami promised. She watched Naoko pick up a bottle of liquid out of the drawer and stare at it, contemplating. "What is that?" Ami asked tentatively.

"Perfume…" Naoko glanced at her quickly as if she were afraid the word would trigger something.

"Oh." Ami said, looking at the bottle with interest. "How nice."

"Do you know any scents, Ami-chan?" Naoko asked. Ami shook her head. Naoko took a breath and reached a decision. She opened the stopper. "You don't recognize this? It was popular too."

"No," Ami said honestly. She sniffed. It was a faint scent that made her want more. Naoko tipped the bottle as if to pour it, and Ami slowly held out a hand, extending her pointer finger. Naoko pressed the opening of the bottle against it, and when she drew it away, a drop of perfume was on Ami's finger. Naoko gestured her to put it behind her ears and wrists, and Ami obeyed. "So… what is it?" Ami asked shyly.

Naoko put the bottle away and stood up, looking down at her with a strange look in her eyes. "Hakubaikou."

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Ami felt strange as she walked down the road with Naoko. She wasn't sure if it was a combination of her new look or because Kenshin was not there walking beside her, but she felt apprehensive. _Kenshin… I'll join you soon. _

Closing her eyes for a moment, she tried to remember the feeling of pain that the snakebite had given her. Seeing Kenshin begin his work seemed to make her think about it more often, how she owed him and how unfair it was that he had to work while she stood off by the side. Not even standing, but sitting, rather.

_When I was bitten, I wasn't as scared as I should have been, until later. I told myself not to worry because I believed in Kenshin, but despite that, the panic settled in. I couldn't ignore the pounding of my own heart. I could have died, if it had been anybody other than Kenshin. He's so fast, and he saved me. He took the time to save me. And when I woke up the next day, seeing him beside me brought me closer to him more than before. It was such a strong mix of emotions…_

"What are you thinking?"

Ami didn't reply, not wanting to. Naoko did not seem to mind. In a satisfied voice she said, "The scent you're wearing, hakubaikou, is supposed to make people reflect on the past. I don't know if it affects the wearer."

Ami twined her fingers together, staring at the ground. "I think it does."

"I think so too."

No other words passed between them until the lake came into sight, large, blue, and sparkling. Ami picked up her pace, trying not to make it look like she was trying to leave Naoko behind. A faint breeze reached her and blew back the hair lying against her face. She looked around and reached the shore, but Kenshin wasn't there.

Ami heard the crunch of Naoko's footsteps behind her slow to a halt. "Where is Shun?" she asked impatiently. "Perhaps they're walking around the shoreline. Wait here, Ami-chan, I'm going to look for them."

"All right," Ami said softly. She waited until the sound of Naoko's footsteps had disappeared, and then she knelt down to the water and dipped her fingers in. It was cool, and she plucked a pebble from the bottom. Standing up again she threw it and watched it collide with the water, making a "plunk" sound. Drying her fingers on her kimono, she sighed. _Kenshin, where are you? I know you'll come for me. Hurry. _

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"Aunt must have taken the other route," Shun observed later from his perch on the boulder. Both men were standing and facing the lake, waiting for the others.

"If she did, where they would end up isn't too far from here," Shun explained. "I'll go look for her, you stay here, Himura-san." He leapt off and started away.

"See you," Kenshin said politely. He walked closer to the water's edge. The breezes were becoming stronger. He closed his eyes and stood there as if in rest. There was a faint scent in the wind… like flowers…

His eyes snapped open, a startled violet. _What in the world…? Hakubaikou…_ He leaned forward, scanning for the source of the scent that evoked so many memories…

_There are flowering trees, but they aren't hakubaikou… is someone wearing…? It shouldn't bother me, but this is the second time I've smelled this scent… I need to…_

To his surprise, his feet were already moving. He didn't care if he was disobeying Shun; he just had to find the source of it. He might find nothing at all, but he'd at least search for the sake of running… running to escape these fears and the irrational pounding of his heart. What did he expect to find, after all? The original wearer was dead. _Tomoe… Tomoe!_

He was running through trees and then he broke out into the clear space of the shore.

There was the figure of a girl standing by the water, her hair gathered back in a fashion familiar to him…

_… a long pink ribbon wound tightly to gather back the rest of her hair, leaving the rest across her shoulders to frame her pale face. Sensing his approach, she slowly turned, her dark eyes fixing boldly onto his._

The girl turned.

Kenshin staggered, eyes wide. "No!" he said harshly, and despite his shaking legs, he marched rigidly over to Ami, who was wearing his dead wife's hairstyle and perfume. _You can't be Tomoe! You can't end up like her, don't you dare mimic-_

She let out a cry and ran into his arms, burrowing into his chest. Kenshin realized he was sweating and took a large gulp of air, trying to calm himself down as Ami held him up, her hold on him tightening as she wailed.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! What's wrong? I'll undo it- I'll take it all off!" She reached back and yanked out the ribbon fiercely, her hair cascading down once more. She stepped back to look for approval in his face, her eyes flashing with anxiety and fear.

She saw none, only Kenshin's stricken face, so she turned around and dashed to the lake, hovering clumsily and then bending down to scoop up some water. She splashed herself, trying to wash off the scent as best as she could. Kenshin watched her, regaining control of himself.

"Ami," he called, suddenly weary. "Ami-chan, don't…"

She ignored him, scrubbing hard on the places where she had applied the perfume. Kenshin could see that the sleeves of her kimono were soaked. He sighed, putting a hand to his head.

_What's wrong with me? How could I have become so weak? To be scared of phantoms… of what were… Passing Kyoto brought up memories, but it's been more than a week since we came down the mountain…_

"HEY!" Shun shouted in alarm, quickening his pace towards them, Naoko in tow. "What the-?"

Ami straightened up quickly, wringing out her hair, staring breathlessly at them, her eyes darting over to Kenshin. "We found each other. I… I felt hot," she lied feebly.

Naoko looked suspiciously from Ami to Kenshin, and then turned away to hide her face. Shun marched over to them, groaning that Ami shouldn't be so impulsive. He glanced over at Kenshin as if to rebuke him too, but thought better of it.

"So," he said finally, when no one spoke, looking around. "Are we still going to the market?"

"Naoko-dono's plans were to go," Kenshin started slowly. "We wouldn't want to disrupt that."

"Shizuma-san?" Shun asked, turning to his aunt. Naoko faced them again. She looked disgruntled, and then nodded.

"Let's go, please."

Uncomfortably, they started on their way. Naoko fell back to walk on the other side of Kenshin, and Ami sped up, sensing a private conversation.

"So, Himura-san," she said, her voice trembling slightly. "You disapproved of Ami-chan's looks?"

Kenshin glanced sharply at her and then looked ahead. "It reminded me of someone," he said shortly. "Did you do it for her?"

"She chose the ribbon and perfume on her own," Naoko said quickly.

"What about her hair?" Kenshin persisted.

Naoko was silent for a moment. "It seemed to be the best choice. I wasn't going to give her my expensive hair pins, and it seems I made a good choice judging from the way she dunked herself in the lake."

She walked quickly away from him, and Ami fell back silently to his side before Kenshin could think. "I'm sorry," she said again, as he knew she would.

"You have nothing to apologize for," said Kenshin. He looked at her. She was trying to comb her hair with her fingers to make it presentable. He waited a moment and then gently gathered a bunch, helping her. "You shouldn't have done that." A small smile teased at his lips as he watched her turn pink.

"I'll never… I'll never wear any of those things again." Ami muttered, keeping her eyes averted from Kenshin. His fingers running through her hair made her blush, as with any other contact.

"Only if you don't want to," Kenshin amended. "I promise I won't become so worked up next time."

"It's okay," came the soft reply.

Still helping her comb her hair, Kenshin's eyes focused on Naoko's back.

_She supplied the perfume… the ribbon… she did Ami-chan's hair… and am I supposed to believe this is all coincidence? Sometimes I suspect that she knows who I am… but how could she know what Tomoe looks like? She had to have known Tomoe, if she dressed Ami up like this. What is she trying to achieve by pulling off this stunt?_

Kenshin frowned. If this were all true, he didn't like how Naoko was using Tomoe and Ami-chan to get to him. It wasn't like the confrontations he was used to. _I suppose I'll stay on guard… but if this is all she'll do, she's basically harmless… _

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**8 Years Ago**

Summer was beginning once again. One night, among the chirpings of bugs, there was a crinkling sound of footsteps crushing dry grass. The pace was slow, and when the house was reached the scrapes slowly came to a stop. The person had halted. After a moment's pause, a white hand reached forward to pluck a berry, the fingers delicately poised. At that moment, one of the houses' shoji slid open with a loud scraping noise and light flooded the scene. 

"Get back, thief!"

There was a scrambling noise and as Naoko ran out, her short sword ready in her hand, she heard the soft ring of metal being drawn. Naoko's livid eyes widened in surprise and her sword hand lowered a fraction. In the fireflies' green light was a girl, clothed in white, a dagger in her hand. The girl's deep black eyes were narrowed, on the defensive, but as Naoko slowly neared closer, she smelled the alcohol before spotting the slight blur in them.

"Who are you, girl?"

The girl's grip on her tanto did not lessen, but she replied civilly enough. "A woman on the path of revenge. Excuse me."

She stepped back into the shadows, but was followed by Naoko, who was intrigued by her reply. "My name is Shizuma Naoko," she said sharply. "Give me your name. I have also thought of revenge, many times. Tell me, and maybe we'll find we are allies."

The dagger was lowered and sheathed. The girl stared at her from the gloom, her face unreadable. Her voice was clear through the night. "My name is Yukishiro Tomoe. And I… I seek revenge against Hitokiri Battousai."

It was as if someone has shoved Naoko hard in the chest. She could not breathe for a moment, hearing her most hated enemy's name on the lips of another with the same intent. She was shaken. "Kami-sama… that demon Battousai…"

_Battousai…_

The familiar feeling of icy numbness spread through Naoko's body, stilling her. It gripped her heart, compressing it. The intense hatred she had felt almost ever since her husband was murdered sprung familiarly upon her, but now she had burst of fierce joy. Maybe now she had finally found someone who could relate to her. She had to invite her inside- she had to!

"Yukishiro-san," Naoko said, her voice trembling slightly. "Yukishiro-san, please come inside so we can talk. I don't know what plan you have, but my husband was high member of the Shogunate…"

_I can help you get to him. I will help you reach your goal, and by that I'll reach mine as well. That hitokiri needs to die. I can't bear living on the same earth as the murderer of Hasegawa-san…_

Slowly, Tomoe nodded. She stepped closer, into the light, and Naoko saw she was beautiful. She wondered how far Tomoe had been traveling, and wondered at how she had survived the dangers of being a young, lone woman, traveling with only a dagger for protection. Beauty could be a hindrance… but as Naoko led her inside, she thought to herself that somehow it would aid Tomoe on her journey. Perhaps, even the shadowed assassin would be… Naoko shuddered in revulsion. To let the bastard touch her would be disgusting… but the ultimate outcome would be worth it.

Naoko served her tea and they talked late into the night, the candles shrinking, their lights growing slowly dimmer. They told each other their sad stories without shedding a tear; they were above that. The discussed ways to get to Battousai, and Naoko supplied Tomoe with her own knowledge, thankful for the information she had received in turn for being married to an official.

"When you get to Kyoto, ask for the Yaminobu. The Shinsengumi's activities will rise in Kyoto, but they won't take you in. The Yaminobu's main goal is finding the weakness of Battousai, I've heard... you could spy for them, perhaps. Battousai is a young man, so chances are hopefully he won't suspect you…"

Tomoe's face was impassive. Naoko couldn't tell if the news that Battousai was just a boy affected her. But Naoko trusted her that it would not. When they were done, both were exhausted from planning, but it was a sweet exhaustion. Naoko could taste triumph as she went to bed, imagining Tomoe accomplishing what both wanted. It impressed Naoko that Tomoe had left her family and sacrificed everything for this. Naoko was similarly burdened but could not throw everything away. It made her writhe in her bed that perhaps she was weaker in this way, but assured herself with the thought that she could not get to Battousai the way Tomoe could.

After lending her the use of the bath and serving breakfast, Naoko wished Tomoe luck as the girl set off the next morning. The thoughts behind the girl's face were a mystery throughout the whole period of time Naoko had spent with her, but Naoko could imagine the hate writhing inside of her. _Good luck to you… for the first time in my madness, I've felt hope… kill Battousai, Yukishiro-san. Then we'll all be released._

Naoko went on with her life, but the first few days after meeting Tomoe were spent trembling at night, wondering if anything had happened yet. She asked for information from her contacts and but got it rarely. When she heard that Yukishiro Tomoe had been successfully planted into the Choshuu Ishinsishi base, it was like a bomb exploded. Then the Ikedaya incident had occurred and Naoko could get no information on Tomoe's conditions or whereabouts. She and the Battousai seemed to have disappeared. Naoko dared to hope that the demon hadn't killed her, but that the girl was still with him, serving the Yaminobu in secret. It was in the next year that Naoko finally heard of Tomoe's fate: the girl had been forced to marry Battousai, but he had killed her during the Yaminobu attack, which failed. The Battousai was alive, coming out of the encounter with only another scar across his cheek.

Naoko wept and cursed him over and over. After Toba Fushimi and word spread that the Battousai was either dead or had disappeared, Naoko lost all hope of him being killed. She was sure that Battousai was alive. If he had died, someone would have collected his head. The disappointment, which was by far an understatement, drove her insane, but by then her nephew had already been sent to take care of her, and Naoko suffered inwardly. Over the years, the grudge lessened in weight, but remained in the back of her mind like a figurine pushed to the back of a shelf, collecting dust, but still present.

Almost, _almost_- Naoko had nearly beaten it. Feeling such hatred and having no way to act on them was torture. So many years had passed, and then, one misty morning, a red haired stranger had shown up with a girl in his arms… Whenever he smiled, it felt like he was taunting her. She wanted to tear at him when he said her name. How dare he put on this false humility, he who killed so many men… and, by what was known, one woman. The bastard had killed his own wife- the poor girl, Naoko thought to herself, gritting her teeth. Poor, unfortunate Yukishiro-san; she had spent the last months of her life beside the monster that had killed her fiancé. Again, the injustice infuriated her Naoko, that Battousai only had a scar to show the attack that Tomoe and the Yaminobu had sacrificed themselves for.

_It's my turn_, Naoko realized. _The Battousai coming to my doorstep was not a mockery from the gods. It's my chance to finish what no one else could do. It's to test my resolution! For Hasegawa-san, for everybody, I can finish off this man!_

Alone, she laughed to herself. It was a joke on Battousai. He, who had not suffered the ultimate defeat in battle, would be killed unsuspectingly by a mere woman. It was indeed laughable. She only wished that the old government still existed; to them she could boast this feat. The new Meiji government would arrest her for murder against one of their top warriors. _It doesn't matter… as long as I know what I've done…I can live the rest of my life in triumph. I got revenge when no one else could._

It was counting chickens before they hatched. Alone in her room, mostly at night, Naoko imagined what it would be like when she finally poisoned him. During the day, when she was around him, it was harder to feel as if she had conquered. She was constantly suspicious, trying hard to mask herself. She couldn't let this opportunity pass by letting her inner planning slip. She watched him, as well.

She grew bolder. She wanted to exercise this power, that she had Battousai in her hand and that she was ready to crush him at any time. She thought again of Tomoe- how had the Battousai felt when he killed her? Nothing at all, most likely. He was a demon hiding behind a smiling face. He had the girl, Ami, completely ensnared. It sickened her to see him seduce the child like that.

What would she do with Ami once Battousai was dead? Would she have to kill her as well? Naoko did not want to accept that as a possibility. The girl was ignorant, that was certain, but that didn't mean she had to die. If she were taught correctly, she could repair her ways and understand the true monster Battousai was. He was not a soft-spoken, polite man named Himura Kenshin. Inside, always lurking, was the murderer.

But as she watched them, always sitting together, talking and laughing, that stupid, _stupid_ little girl blushing around him… it could not be tolerated.

_You have no clue, do you?_ Naoko hissed in her mind at night, her fists clenched. _But I can see… even if I told you his deeds, you'd refute them, wouldn't you? _In her mind, Naoko could see Ami's eyes widen, flecks of gold visible.

_"Kenshin never killed anyone," she protested, her hands wringing against her chest. "He wouldn't."_

_"He did He was a demon, a monster, and everyone feared and hated him-"_

_"Shut up, shut up!" the girl would cry, but unable to shut out the truth. Naoko loomed over her, knowing she had won._

_"Do you know how many he killed? He killed his own wife. He killed my husband. He took out his sword-" here, Naoko's breath was shudder, seeing the imagery from her own words, "- and he swung. He killed them, splashing blood, all those poor men's blood-!"_

_"No no no!" The girl was infuriating. Naoko was telling the truth, and if Ami wouldn't accept it, it wasn't Naoko's fault. She slapped her, over and over, and she liked that behind the sting of the blow, in the girl's wails, that she was crying because she knew the truth. She was a doomed soul, heart and soul captured by Battousai._

When Naoko woke in the middle of the night, she lay numb in bed. Her own viciousness mystified her. _So, this is the strength I can find in my time of need._ She thought of revenge again, thinking of Hasegawa-san, Tomoe, and the countless others. Slowly, it occurred to Naoko that death was just a moment. She wanted to _play_ with Battousai's mind during the last days of his life. She would torture his mind, just as he had tortured hers. Forming such scenarios, excitement grew in her, and in the dead of the night, she carried them out. She took hakubaikou perfume from her drawer and pulled out the stopper in front of Battousai and Ami's room. She stayed as long as she dared but left satisfied, hearing Battousai groan and Ami whimpering over him.

_Ami._ What the girl would hate was to be used against Kenshin. Naoko could kill two birds with one stone. Ami would be her pawn. And _this_ scenario evoked such curiosity from Naoko that days later when she spotted Ami alone, sitting by herself, Naoko found herself setting it in action.

Naoko took Ami to her room, and dressed her like Tomoe. This act was much more direct, and Naoko knew she was taking a dreadful risk, but she continued on. At the lake, she almost missed Battousai's reaction, but she knew he must have been shaken. Could he have felt guilt? It was pleasing to know, but it came with a large price- with cold fear gripping her heart, Naoko was sure that Battousai suspected her. Would he murder her in her sleep soon? Now she knew she had to act quickly. Some time soon, she would poison Battousai and finally get the revenge that so many others failed at. She knew she would.

Hasegawa-san would be proud of her.

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A/N: It's long (I think) and it's late. Not much to say, but I hope it's doing all right. Lots of doubts here, but hopefully this little ending arc is plausible. As always, please review and let me know what you think and if there's anything I can do to make it better... for instance, if there's some point on a character I haven't touched yet or needs more explanation, like, why was Kenshin so upset over Ami's appearance… (my excuse for that is that they've just passed Kyoto a while ago, and quoted from Kenshin in the grave scene of Kyoto Arc, it brings up memories…((oh wait, that was his excuse for not seeing Tomoe!)) and that he had his nightmare, smelled hakubaikou… and then all of the sudden, he sees a figure that look like her from the back. Yeah, perhaps it's not so faulty. After all when Kenshin saw Enishi for the first time in about 11 years, he hallucinated and saw the figure of Tomoe and had a bigger reaction than this.)

Well, thank you for reading! R&R. :P


	20. Whispers in the Night pt 3

Disclaimer: I DO own Rurouni Kenshin! I have Volumes 1,3, 5, 10, & 21 in my closet!

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_Whispers in the Night_

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It was a dare. As Ami lay in her bed, watching Kenshin sleep, she whispered the words out loud; "I swear to do anything for you. For Himura Kenshin… I will…" 

She curled up under the blanket, her mind pestered with the thoughts that had been keeping her awake for the last hour. She couldn't get rid of the memory of Kenshin's expression when he had spotted her by the lake. He had been shocked, angry even. Never had Kenshin shown such disapproval in her.

Was it her? It had to be her. Why would Kenshin become so upset over perfume or her hair? It was irrational, and Kenshin was the wisest, most kind, caring person Ami knew. _He didn't like such things on me_, she thought to herself, saddened. _I'm a rurouni. I shouldn't put on things like that. That's why…_

That's why he had become upset. That's why his eyes had widened, why sweat appeared on his face, as if for an instant he had seen a ghost. Then he regained himself, and Ami clearly remembered his narrowed eyes, the movement of his mouth as he said a strangled, "No," to her, marching over to take those things off of her.

_But no…_

Even as she told herself her own explanation was the truth, she could not push away the doubt, that there was some secret of Kenshin's that had made him act that way.

_Hakubaikou… a scent for reminiscence…_

Perhaps it made him remember things… dreadful things. Death, loneliness, pain. But Ami could hardly imagine Kenshin lonely. He had her now, and she planned to stay with him forever. She would stay so long it would wipe away that lonely past, if it even existed.

_Sadness._

She remembered the night Kenshin had woken her up, tossing and turning, moaning in his sleep. The memory struck a chord in her heart, and her eyes tingled but she did not cry. It occurred to Ami that she wanted to kiss Kenshin goodnight, but she could not possibly dare to. He would wake up, and their futons were too far apart for it to be called an accident, as if she had rolled over with her lips brushing against his skin.

"Good night," she sighed softly, and then she mouthed a phrase she could not say aloud to him yet, because she was waiting for the right time. She didn't need practice for it, because she was sure everything she did was a message of it, at least to Kenshin's perceiving mind.

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These days, when Ami was in Naoko's company, she noticed how tired the older woman was. There were lines around her eyes, and her smile was strained.

"We don't disturb you at night, do we, Shizuma-san?" she asked tentatively. Her eyes widened. "We don't- I don't snore at night, do I?"

Naoko let out a short burst of laughter. She smiled, but there was a scornful glint in her eye. "Even if you snored, Ami-chan, I wouldn't be able to hear it from my room."

"Yes," Ami said awkwardly, embaressed, but she did not look away. Her eyes locked with Naoko's, searching into them, confused about the scorn. For Naoko to feel that way, when Ami felt she had not earned it, made her nervous. Naoko was the one who broke the eye contact. She stared for a moment longer, and then turned and walked away, saying, "Excuse me."

"I think we're getting on Shizuma-san's nerves," Ami confessed to Kenshin one night, as they changed for bed. She chanced a peek, and saw Kenshin's frown.

"Does she try and get you alone, Ami-chan?"

"I… no. Not lately. She'll come up and stand by me, though."

Kenshin knelt down on his futon, and patted the space next to him. "Come here."

Ami obeyed, and following his gestures, drew back the bottom of her yukata to expose her bitten leg. Kenshin ran his finger down her leg where the bite had been. There was only a faint trace of it, now. Ami watched him silently, a faint blush on her cheeks, but feeling too comfortable at being by his side to be embarrassed.

"You're perfectly fine now," Kenshin murmured, patting her leg briefly to show that he was finished with his inspection. "For Naoko-dono to insist on more payment would be unnecessary. I'll bring up the subject with her sometime soon, and then we may start on our way."

"That's good," said Ami. She thought about telling him more about how Naoko made her uneasy, but decided not to burden him with such meaningless things. If things went well, they might even be able to leave this very week. She stayed as long as she dared on Kenshin's futon, leaning slightly against him, and then she got up and scooted under her own covers.

Sighing, she slowly fell asleep, while Kenshin lay awake, his mind working. He definitely wanted to leave soon. He was starting to trust Naoko less and less. Either way, their presence was a toll on her.

_She knows who I am, and it clearly disturbs her that she can't do anything about it. Perhaps she's even afraid that if she lets on that she knows, I'll kill her. And still, her connection with Tomoe… if I asked, then she'd know that I already suspect her. We're at a stalemate. Neither of us wants to make the move that will break this fragile pretense. If all goes well, we'll be able to leave before this shatters._

Kenshin rolled onto his side, his clear eyes dark in the faintly lighted room, focused on Ami, sleeping peacefully in her bedding. He thought about brushing her hair back, but didn't want to wake her. _I should have told her… to not be caught alone with Naoko-dono…_

He was afraid that Naoko would tell his secret to Ami. He still had no idea whether Ami had ever heard of Hitokiri Battousai before, but Naoko would surely fill in the legend gladly, putting in her own bloody details. To ask for things to remain the same between them might be too much.

_Definitely… I definitely want us to leave this place soon._

His eyes closed and he shifted onto his back, falling asleep.

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Time was running out.

Naoko's heart was painful; she didn't know what to do. Any day now Battousai would ask to leave. They'd disappear forever, and he'd continue staining the earth with his beastly, bloody presence.

_Help me, help me, oh, somebody help me!_

_No_, she told herself sternly when the panic faded away, _do this yourself, Naoko. Your life is meaningless without this. You **must** kill Battousai. Then everything… _

"Everything will be solved," she whispered. She shut her eyes tightly, mouth pressed into a thin line. _Hasegawa-san…_

She had loved him so much. She had been a solitary girl, struggling to find independence and yet yearning for companionship. Wanting to be strong, and then wanting to be weak. She had high standards for herself, and hated how fickle she was, but Hasegawa had taken her, loved her, and his criticisms were never unjust or scornful.

_Naoko-chan_, he had said, smiling faintly at her and holding out his bowl. _There's too much salt. _

_I know_, she had said with her head bowed, _I know. I will do better next time._

_Yes, I know that as well_. His voice was always noble sounding. He had held himself strongly, with a calm look on his face as he surveyed his world. _His_. And he had been taken away, had to serve his duty, and in an insignificant street in Kyoto, he had been struck down, away from home, away from _her_.

He had been what she wanted to be. Strong, calm, unbothered by the world, except only the news of war brought a wrinkle to his brow as he frowned. And Battousai killed him, in turn dashing her dreams, her happiness.

_Not just for me… not just for Hasegawa-san… for everyone. It's better with Himura dead. And so…_

She could imagine, briefly, her husband's solemn face as he spoke gravely to her. _Do everything you can, Naoko-chan. You cannot fail. You never make the same mistake twice._

_My dear, my first mistake?_

He smiled. _Don't lose your head, Naoko-chan._

Of course not.

She planned. How could she delay Battousai and the girl from leaving? She could not think of any more long lasting tasks for him to perform. There had to be something he could fix, spanning over days. She searched for ideas frantically, and then it occurred to her- why did she need more time? She could go out to the garden patch at the side of the house and take the poisons she needed at any time. To grind them into liquid, suitable for hiding into food, wouldn't take more than hours. Was she still afraid to commit murder, after all this time? After all Battousai had done, was she still wavering?

_I am not a murderer. I am…_

She could not say. All she knew was that Battousai deserved to die. Yes, that was it; she was not a murderer, she was an avenger. She would kill Battousai, with his fake smiles, fake politeness. He was a demon with a mask. _Demons… must… be exorcised…_ It was not a sin to kill demons.

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Ami plopped backwards onto the porch, just having finished help Kenshin start fire for the bath. He had seen her hot face, smiled, and told her to rest. She watched him appreciatively, smiling fondly, when she felt Naoko move towards her once more, as she had been doing more and more each day. Ami's smile dropped. She remembered the words Naoko had spoken to her yesterday, similar to the ones spoken even the day before. 

_How well do you know him? _There was a cruel smile on her face. _I know him better than even you do. Despite your time together, you know nothing. _

"How would you know Kenshin?" Ami had demanded the first time Naoko spoke to her that way, suspicious.

Naoko spoke in her frustratingly cool voice. "Why, he's quite famous."

"_Why_?"

"It's under another name, of course," Naoko smiled again, not answering Ami's question. "I wonder if you know it."

"Shizuma-san," Ami started to say, but Naoko cut her off once more, her voice a whisper, almost feverish.

"You don't know, do you? Are you going to go running to him to find out? It's really a pity."

"I'm not going to go running," Ami murmured, trying to take control of her anger. She searched Naoko's eyes once more, probing, trying to find out the sudden change in her host's personality. This new Naoko was quieter around company, and spiteful when alone with Ami. However, once Ami tried to search into them, Naoko broke eye contact.

"You'll see, girl," Naoko said, looking off to the side. "It's a _battle_ between us. You'll see."

_Between us. _Well, there wasn't any need for Naoko to emphasize that so obviously. Ami wasn't going to complain to Kenshin about Naoko's taunts anyway. They were stupid lies. And even if they were true, it didn't matter, because Ami knew Kenshin best _now_, even without knowing his history.

"What is it?" Ami asked now, not looking at her, her eyes still on Kenshin.

Naoko said nothing at first, and then she whispered in a voice that made a chill run down Ami's spine. "You follow him around like a lovesick puppy. I think it will stay that way until the end. You'll see. Even if you did know…"

"I don't care," Ami murmured, her eyes fixed on Kenshin. "I don't care about what he did."

Suddenly, anger grew in her. She stood up and whirled around, her voice still quiet so that Kenshin wouldn't hear. "Whatever you're talking about, it's stupid. Who cares about it? It doesn't matter now."

Naoko's fists clenched visibly, and Ami flinched. The lines had definitely grown deeper on Naoko's face, and the woman looked angry now, instead of her distracted anxiety that Ami had seen when Naoko was alone.

"It always matters," Naoko whispered. "Death matters. You'll see."

"I don't… I don't care," Ami tried to say, trying to fight the dread in her heart. "Why don't you talk to Shun-san about this? I don't… I don't want-"

Naoko stared at her, making eye contact. Now Ami felt like the one being probed, but she willed herself to stare right back. As she stared, she suddenly remembered that Naoko was not too old, and it was this obvious madness that made her seem older, uglier. For just one moment, Ami felt a bit of pity, under all the mistrust, anger, and worry.

Naoko turned away, and Ami watched her. As she watched, her eyes suddenly blurred, and she sank down, resting her head against the pole that helped support the structure.

_Why? Why haven't we left yet? We need to go, it's not safe here anymore…_

_Shizuma-san is crazy_, Ami thought to herself, miserable, and a little horrified. _She helped save my life, but she's crazy. Did we make her turn this way? We have to leave, oh, Kenshin, we have to leave…_

But no, they still hadn't. Naoko had complained four days ago about something wrong with the workings of the well, and as Kenshin worked on it, Shun attempting to help, Naoko came up with an errand for Shun to run. Kenshin was still working on that, and meanwhile, Naoko had announced that she would like help gathering herbs and mixing them into medicine.

_Always… she's keeping us here…sometime now, Kenshin has to refuse… we have to leave…_

Thinking these thoughts, she thought of bondage. They weren't slaves, but captives in a sense. Naoko was controlling them in a way- keeping them here, biding her time- Ami _knew_ that something was going on inside of Naoko's head, thoughts that were dangerous to them.

Holding these twisting thoughts and anxieties hidden inside, she looked up again to watch Kenshin, the blazing fire casting dancing orange light onto his figure. He stood up to watch his handwork, eyes flickering in the light. Ami bit her lip and looked down again.

_Kenshin…_

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"Shun-san," Ami wondered outloud, "though Shizuma-san is an herbalist, no one has come for medicine…" 

Both she and her host's nephew were tending to the herb garden, while Kenshin was doing the laundry. She would have chosen to remain and help Kenshin instead, but he had caught her eyes wandering over at Shun and his work while they washed the clothes.

_Go help him_, Kenshin had told her. He smiled. _Learn something new, Ami-chan. As a nephew to an herbalist, he must know many things as well._

_All right_, Ami had agreed. She already knew quite a bit about plants, because Hiro had taught her well, discerning the poisonous from the edible, and plants with other properties.

_Like plant glue_, she remembered briefly as she pruned the herbs, her toes reaching over the boundary of her sandal, rubbing idly into the earth. She looked down at herself. _I need new sandals… I'm growing._

She smiled softly. _I feel that… I've grown a lot, ever since I met Kenshin._

"Shun-san…" she repeated again. He was not answering.

The older man paused briefly and sighed, before moving his arms forward again.

"Aunt has a few problems… almost a decade ago, her husband was killed. You knew that, yes?"

Ami nodded.

"Well… she had a difficult time. No one wanted to approach her. And now, still nobody wants to unless it's necessary. That's all I can say on the matter, I'm afraid." Shun frowned at her, but couldn't help it from turning into a little smile. "Gossiping isn't a good thing, Ami-chan."

She blushed and nodded again, feeling rebuked. They worked wordlessly for a while, hearing the faint sound of water as Kenshin did the laundry behind them. Then, Ami's eyes found a new sight to wonder over. Further back at the house near the wall, there was also a small plot of plants. They were in the shade, fitting to their gloomy state.

"Are we going to tend to that one, too?" she asked, pointing. Shun glanced over at the hidden plot and shook his head.

"No. Really, I had hoped those plants would die off… those are poisons, kept for rats, I suppose. We haven't had a serious rat problem for a while, though. I'd uproot them, but Aunt is protective of her garden. I only touch it when she tells me to."

"Souka," Ami mused, running her finger along a leaf. Shun kept quiet, his lips pursed.

What he had chosen not to say was that years ago, when his uncle had been killed, Naoko had tried to kill herself using those plants, when her more direct plan had been foiled by visitors. Her knife had been heading towards her throat, and when the startled guests tried to stop her, she even tried to attack them.

Strangely, her attempt to poison herself was on the same day Shun and his family came to visit. His mother spotted her gathering the plants, and ordered Naoko to bed. Forcefully restrained by Shun, who begged for her pardons, Naoko was helpless as her sister wept and tried to destroy the poisonous growth. She hadn't done a very thorough job, and they were back again. By that time, Shun was staying with his aunt, and seeing as she was acting better, didn't care to bring it up again.

_During each attempt for death, she did it in the company of others… whether to make a statement or because she really didn't want to die, I don't know…who can tell the mind of an insane person?_ Shun thought secretly.

_She has been acting better… though I feel she has been a little unbalanced, lately. Because of the company? I don't see why; they're perfectly amiable._ Shaking off the troublesome thoughts, Shun bent down, sensing absolutely no harm from the sweet little girl beside him and the polite young man behind.

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Dinner was uncomfortable, to say the least. Kenshin disguised his suspicious feelings perfectly well, and thanked Naoko as always for the meal. Likewise, she replied that it was nothing, but lately, she couldn't help the faint curl of her lip and the narrowing of her eyes as she glared into her bowl. Shun wasn't even trying to start a conversation, this time.

The clinks of chopsticks against the porcelain bowls and the ruffling of clothing were especially unnerving, tonight. Kenshin set his bowl down, his hands resting on his knees. He looked at Ami who sat by his side, staring forlornly down into her lap, and took strength from her.

"Shizuma-dono," he said. There was a final clink, and then the woman paused briefly before raising her eyes to his.

"Yes, Himura-san?"

"I'd like to address our debt."

The atmosphere seemed to drop down a degree, and Shun put down his bowl.

"We're thankful you have housed us this long," Kenshin continued, his voice clear, "and I'm sorry we can't do more for you. But I think it's time we left."

Beside him, Ami looked up, startled. Kenshin didn't look at her, not breaking his eye contact with Naoko.

"I see," Naoko said quietly. She took a deep breath, and looked away, the picture of disappointment. "But Himura-san, you've only informed me tonight… when do you actually intend to go?"

"Tomorrow would be fine."

Naoko frowned, the corner of her mouth twitching. "…You've been here for such a long time, it will be… lonely without you two. How about the day after tomorrow, to get used to the idea? I'll cook a grand dinner tomorrow and you'll leave the next morning- a farewell party."

"Thank you, but that's-"

"Himura-san." This time, Shun was speaking. His eyes were innocently bright with eagerness. "Please accept! It would be fun. I'm sure Ami-chan would enjoy the party."

Ami looked to the side, feeling lost, as if she were missing something. "Mm," she said, unwilling to outright disagree with the man.

Kenshin sighed. If Ami had directly refused, he might have been able to hold his place without seeming rude. But he had already known Ami would not say no. She liked to please people. And if she were ever to express her wishes in that bright, exuberant way, it would not be in a home like this, so unlike the cheerful house of the Kamachi's.

"All right," he consented, ignoring the prickles of worry at the back of his neck. "Though I sincerely wish you wouldn't go through the trouble."

Naoko smiled at him. "It's nothing at all."

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Later that night, Shun's aunt approached him in his room. Himura and the girl were presumably at bed and sleeping- Shun opened his door, puzzled and nervous. The air was cool, and the crickets were loud.

"Auntie?"

"Nephew," Naoko said gently. It was the first time she had spoken to him in such a tone since the boarders had arrived. She gestured into his room. "May we talk in here?"

"Of course," Shun said, and stepped aside to let her in. He slid the shoji closed, and then they sat on the floor facing each other.

"Nephew, you have done so much for me these past years. And I have forgotten to write to your mother for some time- have you kept correspondence?"

Shun swallowed, confused at her admission. "Well, yes, I have written to her lately."

"What did you write?"

"I… asked how everyone was doing back home… I told her that we were both in good health. And I told her that we had two rurouni living with us for the time being."

"I see." Naoko had a half-smile on her face. It disappeared as she leaned forward, eyes looking deeply into his own. She spoke in a hushed voice.

"Nephew. I came here to tell you to beware of Himura."

"What? Auntie, you believe he is dangerous?" Shun wisely kept the disbelief out of his voice. His neck was tense.

"Shun." Her voice was colder now, with a hint of urgency. "I need you to trust me now. Believe me when I say, Himura is Hitokiri Battousai."

Shun was struck dumb for a moment. His tongue felt heavy. _Hitokiri Battousai?_

"Under what basis… why do you, Auntie…?"

"Shun… think of the legends and rumors. One description of the murderer was so strange, but it was actually confirmed by the Tokugawa government. My _husband_ told me- Battousai was young. His hair was red. And on his cheek… _scars_."

It described Himura perfectly, Shun admitted to himself. Except for the killer portion- the demon who crept up silently and killed with god-like speed. Himura had said that he fought in the war, but…

"Shun… he carries a _sword_. The one who was never brought to justice- he wanders around the countryside! Freely, under guise!"

"Impossible…" Shun said weakly. His aunt's eyes flared, her bony hand clenched into a fist.

"It's true," Naoko hissed. "Don't disappoint me and shy away from the truth. Be a man and understand that Hitokiri Battousai, my husband's _murderer_, is right here in this damned house!"

"But the girl… Ami-chan…"

Naoko's lips curled. "The girl has no idea. Battousai has taken her in completely. She is his cover; if she were not with him, wouldn't you be easier convinced that he was Battousai?" Naoko laughed suddenly. "What if Battousai was even the one who killed her brother? The girl is so blind. He could have plucked her away, pretending to be the hero…"

Shun couldn't think. He tried, really _tried_ to remember all the times he had spoken or been with Himura. But the new possibilities overrode his brain. The smiles, the polite voice- was it really all a sham? The cold killer… could he really be using such a cover?

Naoko saw him weakening, coming into the light. "I have more evidence," she spoke softly, feeling triumphant. "That day by the lake… well, it may take a while to explain. But I know that definitely, Himura Kenshin is Hitokiri Battousai."

Yes… there had been times Himura acted strangely… and he was always so guarded. A man like him, so polite, helpful, but bearing a past that was not fit to be told… an ordinary man would go to a monastery, would he not, and repent? But a murderer, pretending…

"Then what do we do?" Shun asked, mouth dry with fear.

"Nephew…" Naoko said, and touched his hand. "Nephew, the very reason you are here with me right now is because of my madness years back then… you know how I grieved over my husband. But I tell you now; what I wished most for was _revenge_. And years after recovering, the gods have presented me with the opportunity to avenge Hasegawa-san… it is fate, Nephew. They have rewarded me for my patience."

"You're right," Shun muttered. "You're right. What do we do…?"

"It's easy, not even bloody. I will be civilized, Nephew. Instead of drawing out pain like he deserves, he will simply eat… and then the poison will kill him. I will not give him enough time to retaliate. It will render him helpless or kill him swiftly."

Naoko sat ramrod straight now, and her eyes burned vividly. Instead of thinking her mad as he had done before, Shun felt a little awe. His aunt had figured out Himura's identity, and she would take revenge as was right, despite the new laws. She was a stronger woman than he had known. His mother's sister was definitely not ordinary.

"Yes Auntie," he said softly, strangely having an urge to bow. "I will help you. And then… and then Hasegawa-san's ghost will rest in peace?"

It was a daring thing to say, but Naoko smiled at him. It was an expression he faintly remembered from childhood. And he remembered how large Hasegawa-san had been, his figure standing beside Naoko's.

It was good to see such an expression on his aunt's face again, so Shun waited a while before speaking. She was still volatile, after all.

"What of the girl? Ami-chan?"

Just as he feared, the smile was wiped away.

"We must get rid of her." Before Shun could say more, Naoko plowed on. "She is too deeply connected with Battousai. When he dies, she will definitely try and cause problems. I do not want to contact the government for this matter- there is no doubt the Meiji government will punish us for killing Battousai on our own. Anyhow, the girl's tongue will run loose- she will try and tell the other occupants of this town that we have murdered a man. However, this town was a supporter of the Shogunate during the war- if we explained who Battousai was, they would probably side with us. Enough men have been killed from this area. She would gain no help from anyone here, but she would go to other towns to report us. We have no choice but to silence her. Even if we told her who Battousai was… "

Naoko did not need to say more. It was obvious to Shun as well. If they had told her who Kenshin really was, Ami would have gone on loving him anyway and not blaming him. She was, as Naoko had said, taken in completely.

"So we'll poison both of them at once," Shun said. He was glad. He would try and guide his aunt to choose painless poison. Despite now knowing Himura's identity, he did not feel well killing the two of them, whom he had spent so much time with. And if they died by poison, they would not be separated, even in death… Ami would continue to be with Himura in the afterlife, just as she would have wished, he was sure.

"You are a fine man, Nephew," Naoko said softly. She touched his hand once more. "Sleep well, and remember to act as if nothing had happened in the morning. I believe they are already slightly suspicious- don't give anything away. Remember that."

"Goodnight, Auntie," Shun murmured.

She wished him goodnight as well, and then vanished so quickly and silently it was as if she was a ghost. Maybe she was, Shun pondered. A ghost who lingered here only until her wish and purpose was fulfilled.

He lay down, urging his breathing to be calm. He thought for a long time, and then fell asleep. He dreamt of smiles and blood.

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A/N:

All of the sudden, I just started writing and finished the chapter….

To those who have somehow managed to keep waiting, I'm still very sorry. I know it's easier to enjoy a story and its flow when the author doesn't update ONCE A YEAR.

Maybe 2/3 chapters more will finish this ARC. Blah.


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